To celebrate the turn of the year, Cocoon Recordings presents us with the fifth edition of the Dots And Pearls anthology, which has been offering us an exclusive glimpse into Cocoon‘s treasure trove of demos at irregular intervals since 2011. Once again, the eight tracks on show represent a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of club music as 2018 fades into 2019, combining established stars of the scene with eye catching newcomers to create a harmonious overall package.

First up is Berlin based producer youANDme, who have been an integral part of the capital's club life for over ten years as well as running the "Rotary Cocktail" label. His epic floor filler "Claret Loss" kicks off the compilation with a refreshingly reduced yet deep Techhouse showpiece as the "aural–circus" begins. In fact that's the name of the next track by promising debutant Florian Hollerith. "Ohrenzirkus" amazes with a bone-dry bass drum accompanied by an insect squadron and atonal orchestra horns. Little wonder that this bold homage with its sonic claim to immortality also takes pride of place on Sven Väth's "Sound of the 19th Season".

Geneva based, Cadenza producer Quenum then reels in the acoustic madness with the elegant, metallic percussion of "Blue Mountain", while Croatian mastermind Petar Dundov takes the listener into a highly emotional state of weightlessness with the typically anthemic "Pyroelectric". Next, Systematic label boss Marc Romboy scores with "Sequential Error", a perpetually growing ball of energy that lights the way to the dance floor. In the midst of the mayhem, Italian newcomer Blackrachas offers up a slice of Mediterranean serenity with his snare opus "Paracasta", while veteran DJ and producer Emanuele Inglese from Rome demonstrates his special expertise for dancefloor hedonism with a flurry of modulated sequential breaks on the track "Rain". Finally, Bastian Bux of Barcelona-based label Suara, who recently also featured on John Digweed’s Bedrock imprint, offers a fitting finale to the compilation with the melodic techno hymn "Inner You".

Dots And Pearls 5 is set to be an indispensable part of this winter‘s clubland wonderland, which track you choose to dance in the new year is, of course, up to you!

In many respects, music has the ability to capture intensely personal emotions, transcend language and make the indescribable tangible for others. Should I smile, cry or drift off through the universe when I hear a melody? It even has the power to mystically connect this melting pot of emotions simultaneously. This then, is the domain of Mario Hammer And The Lonely Robot and those who have followed their career know they have already demonstrated this impressive phenomenon on their two previous albums, transforming their personal feelings into unique musical soundscapes, creating an emotional interface that enables the listener to decode and then assimilate them collectively or as individual sensations.

True to form, they once again apply this syntactic assemblage to great effect on the new album "Définition Synematique" brought to you courtesy of Cocoon Recordings. Eighteen expansive tracks take the listener on a majestic mystery tour through a variety of moods that represent an artist at the peak of their creativity. This emotional, heartfelt approach, realised through a potent mixture of ambient, electronica and techno influences, gives this new work a cinematic sound signature all of its own. Intriguingly though, it also belongs to a rich tapestry of electronic composers dating back to Tangerine Dream and Jean-Michel Jarre albeit with a contemporary twist, rekindling the flame for a new generation of psychonauts as echoes from the dance floor weave their way into numerous chillout sessions around the globe.

Undoubtedly, the album tells a very personal story. Mario Hammer And The Lonely Robot succeed in evoking the same emotional state in the listener that they themselves felt during its creation, producing an album of real depth, innovation and distinction in the process.

Johannes Volk - Nevergreen

Johannes Volk - Nevergreen

Johannes Volk‘s career began in 2006 with a real bang. "The Mysteries Of Tharsis Montes" 12 inch debut from the vinyl collector was released by none other than techno virtuoso Jeff Mills on his Purpose of Mission 6277 label. A special accolade indeed, which proves Volk’s aesthetic connection to Detroit Techno, something he also demonstrates regularly on his own label Exploration Records. Following on from the "Tears and Walls" EP, his second release on Cocoon Recordings continues the tonal reference to the origins of techno in a highly unique style. "Nevergreen", with its driving sequencer synth, is a furious and mechanical workout with a harsh industrial vibe and unbelievable string textures that will shake the dance floor to its foundations. On the B-side "Awareness", Volk conjures up an unforgettably romantic soundscape without sacrificing any energy. After a solid minute, the foggy horizon opens up to one of those rare yet incredibly valuable moments, when you suddenly want to embrace the whole world from inside the club. With "Nevergreen" Cocoon Recordings presents an outstanding new 12" release to usher in 2019 and in doing so, sets a high standard for the coming year.

To celebrate the turn of the year, Cocoon Recordings presents us with the fifth edition of the Dots And Pearls anthology, which has been offering us an exclusive glimpse into Cocoon‘s treasure trove of demos at irregular intervals since 2011. Once again, the eight tracks on show represent a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of club music as 2018 fades into 2019, combining established stars of the scene with eye catching newcomers to create a harmonious overall package.

First up is Berlin based producer youANDme, who have been an integral part of the capital's club life for over ten years as well as running the "Rotary Cocktail" label. His epic floor filler "Claret Loss" kicks off the compilation with a refreshingly reduced yet deep Techhouse showpiece as the "aural–circus" begins. In fact that's the name of the next track by promising debutant Florian Hollerith. "Ohrenzirkus" amazes with a bone-dry bass drum accompanied by an insect squadron and atonal orchestra horns. Little wonder that this bold homage with its sonic claim to immortality also takes pride of place on Sven Väth's "Sound of the 19th Season".

Geneva based, Cadenza producer Quenum then reels in the acoustic madness with the elegant, metallic percussion of "Blue Mountain", while Croatian mastermind Petar Dundov takes the listener into a highly emotional state of weightlessness with the typically anthemic "Pyroelectric". Next, Systematic label boss Marc Romboy scores with "Sequential Error", a perpetually growing ball of energy that lights the way to the dance floor. In the midst of the mayhem, Italian newcomer Blackrachas offers up a slice of Mediterranean serenity with his snare opus "Paracasta", while veteran DJ and producer Emanuele Inglese from Rome demonstrates his special expertise for dancefloor hedonism with a flurry of modulated sequential breaks on the track "Rain". Finally, Bastian Bux of Barcelona-based label Suara, who recently also featured on John Digweed’s Bedrock imprint, offers a fitting finale to the compilation with the melodic techno hymn "Inner You".

Dots And Pearls 5 is set to be an indispensable part of this winter‘s clubland wonderland, which track you choose to dance in the new year is, of course, up to you!

In keeping with the eagerly awaited start of their Odyssey event series at Fabric London, the two Mallorcans Pig&Dan return to their roots, namely Cocoon Recordings, where their 2005 debut "Oh Yeah" signalled the start of their success story. Nine years on from their last album release for the label ("Terminate", 2009), Dan Duncan and Igor Tchkotoua have lost none of their sixth sense for moving the crowd as this uncluttered yet devilishly effective dancefloor double header proves.

"Reset Your Bassline" couldn‘t be more appropriately named, revealling itself over seven and a half adrenalin soaked minutes complete with a powerful, pumping bass and tightly programmed vocal samples (exclusively available on the digital release) alongside an instrumental dub. Already an indispensable addition to this autumn‘s set list, the flip side "Lost Another Angel" also delivers with a pure dose of afterhour bliss in both vocal and dub versions. It‘s a playful Balearic technodub with a canny sense for an unforgettable melody at sunrise, conjuring up broad smiles on glowing faces. Welcome back!

To this day, Sven Väth represents the electronic music scene like no other DJ. In the nineties he was mentor and shaman, operating from Frankfurt/ Germany introducing us to the world of electronic music. After this crazy, extroverted years Väth created the Cocoon family as a global platform for his and his colleagues ́ activities. Väth has always been for the scene "Baba", which means dad in Hessian dialect. Today he is the “Baba” for a new generation of DJs: Music is not about strategizing your niche potential. It does not matter if a tune is approved by the opinion makers. It's about what you feel personally and what you can create with the music in your work as a DJ. To this day, Väth manages to play tracks that you wouldn’t expect and puts them in a context you would not expect either. Like no one else he succeeds in arranging the entire electronic music cosmos, from restrained deephouse to euphoric techno into one, amazing narrative.

Besides Frankfurt, Ibiza is Väth's musical home. After 18 years at Club Amnesia, he and his Cocoon crew moved to Pacha to start a new chapter on the seminal island. You don ́t get a clue from "The Sound of the 19th Season" if he had some trouble finding his way in the new location. Väth takes it away with lighthearted downbeats by Nightmares On Wax, which emphasize their humorous mood with a filtered brass track and cartoon-like vocals. Subtly he blends to the sovereign, dazzling Club Soul of Love Over Entropy. With Adam Port he turns to more electronic and repetitive sounds, still coming off quite relaxed with the frugal, jazzy piano notes, an artificial gurgling and gentle strings melding the poetry of jazz and synthetic music. Emanuel Satie acts as a perfect counterpart to Adam Port's stage-rich arrangement with a punctuated, looped organ sound relentlessly digging into our synapses. Florian Hollerith breaks this minimalism with a playful, nimble, organic bass. Hollerith bursts all boundaries having trumpets and voices wander through the acoustic space. Blending in the blaring snare drum of Luke Slater ́s remix of Talaboman into this spirited groove, Väth strikes a little more serious chord. Slaters subtle bassline communicates with nuanced organ tones, reminiscent of the milestones of house music introducing a modern twist with shimmering sounds. The leaping arpeggios spread no nervousness, but a deep relaxation only this summer of the century was able to deliver. This tranquility is swept away by the agile, unpredictable, three-dimensional funk of French-House- Maverick I:Clube. With a monotonous pulsating bassline from Edward, Väth soothes the crowd again, with a sensual, seductive vocal drawing us deeper into the magical sphere of electronic sounds. Putting on another track by Luke Slater, he blends the house sound with an unexpected piano improvisation. Its vivid dynamic is taken to an extreme by a timeless tune by Shufflemaster & Chester Beatty a string loop sounding like the blink of the soundtrack of an old black & white film. With the enraptured, trippy sounds of Patrice Bäumel Väth hints the mood of the second part of his mix before he finishes Part 1 with Red Axes' ravishing African-style tribal drums.

In his second set Väth starts off on a different note. With the huge, dark, demanding bass of Nicolas Masseyeff, meandering like an unpredictable lizard around the dancefloor, we are in the middle of the night, Tom Pooks & Joy Kitikonti absorb this intensity and liveliness with spacey, expansive fusion sounds. Little later, with Butch, they sound even more confident and edgy. Connecting sawing synths with majestic strings Butch creates a techno epic. Fabrice Lig counters with a tongue-in-cheek acid track bursting with a humorous laugh into this rather dramatic mood. Väth gets breathless with Robag Wruhmes's down-cooked signature groove, the humorous note continuing in Wruhme ́s voice modulations. With a swinging, acoustic groove by Stimming Väth opens up the set. With Ejeca he resumes the heavy Chicago house sound of part one, shifting to a more demanding tone. Koze punctuates the groove with unexpected, surreal and funny radio moderation. Ilario Alicante takes on this ball with a series of vocal samples that spread a ghostly and eerie atmosphere. With Alicante's rumbling groove and aggressive, agile synths Väth sets the first climax. With Anna, Väth reduces the tension, with a cool, distanced voice keeping repeating the word "Time". The second highlight of this set is Michael Mayer's “Lout”. Its focused, straightforward techno groove is literally swallowed in an instant by an unlikely, swirl-like break. With Benny Rodrigues, Väth manages to even top this straightforwardness with an exuberant, thoroughly positive Italo-Disco feeling that culminates in Krystal Klear's "Neutron Dance", one of the biggest tunes of the year. Väth says goodbye with the Irishman ́s charmingly naive melodies. The season of 2018 is over, but the man gives us no time for wistful feelings. After the furious closing of Ibiza in October, he retreats to his Ayurveda ritual. Then he sets off for the "Sound of the Season"-tour which will take him to South America among other destinations. After New Year's Eve, he vacations in Asia like every year taking in inspirations. He will let the season of 2018 pass in his inner mind's eye devising a plan how to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Cocoon on Ibiza. We are definitely looking forward to the crazy that Sven will cook up!

Extrawelt are Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe. Both have been around for about 40 years, and making music together for half that time. They enjoy normal things and are ashamed of their carbon footprints due to the large number of flights they take to bring them to their gigs. Unknown, is the tenth studio album from the producer team, and the fourth under the name Extrawelt. Its largely devoted to another side of their creations.

Something’s different. Well, Extrawelt releases always have been somehow different yet, despite becoming instantly absorbed into the familiar Extrawelt atmosphere when listening, I can’t help but notice again: something’s very different. Feet are bouncing, mind is traveling and my fingers speed across the keyboard like they’re on fire. I’m trying to imagine what it would be like to listen to Unknown with closed eyes in the midst of a throbbing concert instead of through laptop speakers. Listening to Extrawelt on crappy speakers is anyway never a good idea, as it really deserves the backing of the loudest and best possible sound system. With this, I leave the audio confines of my low-fi laptop world and get in the car. Cranking up the stereo, I cruise around aimlessly — lost in appreciation of the music from within the bubble of my metal highway-pod on wheels. I’ve got the urge to speed up — which is surprising considering I’m a usually a very sensible driver. The bass and the beats blow up in my face. Something uncluttered. Something broken. Something grimy. Something sideways. Something undeniably Extrawelt, yet inherently different to what we’ve come to expect from the Hamburg pair. I don’t plan on getting all emotional, but something about this twelve track journey fits together so superbly it’s hard not to be overcome with at least a few shivers up the spine. With profound bass lines and cutting drums, I keep coming back to these sounds. Again and again these sounds. On one hand you feel that you know them, on the other hand you don't know them at all. Is that a synthesiser or a voice? Is it rotating or just linear reinvented? Whatever the answer, my mind goes astray. Whether this is exotic or native doesn't matter: all I know is that it’s great. Meanwhile I’ve reached track seven and now I realise what’s been different all along — it isn’t techno! Somehow, they’ve accomplished staying true to themselves despite deploying not even one four-to-the floor-bass drum. Admittedly, you can find a couple of similar tracks on a few of their previous releases, but here you’ve got a whole album full of it. I gotta listen to track seven again. As a music writer I’m asking myself: what genre of music is this actually? Neo-Electro? Alternative Electronica? Emo-EDM?? Ah, whatever — these guys don’t like to be put into boxes anyway. It’s simply Extrawelt.

As I talk to Arne and Wayan later on, I discover that the tracks on Unknown began simmering more than ten years ago without any goal or idea regarding if they’d end up releasing them. Come 2018 though, the time felt right to dedicate an entire album to this side of their musical spectrum. This also explains how Unknownappeared so quickly after their most recent LP ‘Fear Of An Extra Planet’. As the guys mention “We just felt these tracks a lot when we made them, and never cared really if anyone would be interested in it”.

As we reach the 19th year of Cocoon’s residence on Ibiza, the location may have changed from Amnesia to Pacha, but the enthusiasm for perhaps the most enduring party on the Mediterranean island is guaranteed to continue. Actually, only the sun, sea and wind are more reliable!

The celebrated live sets of Bulgaria’s life wire Strahil Velchev aka KiNK have been a vital ingredient for the ecstatic nights over the years. With unprecedented regularity, the man from Sofia has been voted best live act by readers of Groove magazine for the last three years, and in 2017 he was also crowned best electronic music producer. As KiNK, together with Sven Väth, celebrate one of the most popular evenings of this year’s season as well, what could be more logical than to repurpose the famed Cocoon Ibiza Mix CD series into another live document of the event?

No sooner said than done, and so here the Bulgarian offers a 70-minute cross-section of his skills. Well-known tracks, especially from last year's "Playground” LP (Running Back) meet exclusive, unreleased material in a spontaneous tour de force through the history of electronic dance music. There are distinctive nods to Chicago and Detroit, jazzy organs spiralling into string-drenched skies ("The Russian"), insatiable acid excursions ("Five") and heavy duty discoid workouts ("Use The Rhythm", "Perth") as KiNK’s irresistible nature strikes repeatedly at the heart of the dance floor.

The message as always is “gute Laune!” (good vibes!), if we are allowed to borrow that sacred phrase for just a moment...

Kevin De Vries - Meraki

Kevin De Vries - Meraki

Berlin producer Kevin De Vries has emerged as one of the capital's most hotly tipped newcomers since his track ”Eternity" appeared on Adam Beyer's Drumcode label in 2016. Besides such luminaries as Beyer, Sven Väth and Richie Hawtin, Tale Of Us have also recognised his talent, paying De Vries the compliment of featuring his track "Path To Immortality" on their Fabric 97 CD this year. If that’s not enough they’ve also given Kevin a place of honour on their very own Afterlife label compilation in the form of "Mágoa".

Which brings us to the matter in hand. De Vries' debut for Cocoon is characterised by significantly higher levels of impulsive energy without ever losing sight of his instinctive feel for harmony. "Meraki" speckles shimmering harmonic textures over the structured bass end, reminiscent of sunlight reflecting on turbulent seas - absolutely perfect for dancing through long summer nights! "Sonorous" orchestrates a tropical heatwave before the cyclical after-hour techno of "My Blurred Dream" brilliantly rounds off this heavy duty 3-tracker.

Recognised as a DJ of the highest order whilst playing at Berghain when he was still only 21, Ilario continues to go from strength to strength. An integral member of the respected Cocoon family, Ilario Alicante has become a regular at Cocoon Ibiza, elrow and DC10 during his career so far.

Made up of the titled track ‘Luce’, a cosmic production packed with synth-laced flutters, and the more dancefloor-ready ‘Scelta’; Ilario showcases his eclectic nature across the release. Using a high tempo through the shudders of ‘Cocoon’, the Italian rounds off the EP with the deeply atmospheric ‘Sensa’; with the latter’s rattles adding an intense nature to the production.

Ambivalent & Alden Tyrell - Detente

Berlin-based American Kevin McHugh aka Ambivalent is definitely no stranger to the scene. With "R U OK" on Richie Hawtin's M_nus label he landed one of clubland's absolute hits of 2007 which can still be found lurking in discerning DJ's record cases today. Since 2015 he has been providing high quality tracks on his Delft label, and he celebrated his Cocoon debut two years ago with the "Daylights" EP.

Together with Dutch Clone-producer Martijn Hoogendijk aka Alden Tyrell, Ambivalent has cooked up another serving of straightforward techno complete with rigorous hi-hats, which will no doubt summon up the uncompromising energy of his Berghain sets wherever it's played. With its powerful incantation of sequential rave signals, "Wallfall" recalls the best days of Jeff Mills in the form of ultra-modern Detroit-oriented premium techno, while "Detente" lays disconcerting industrial distortion over expansive Dubtechno for maximum acceleration. The perfect fix for hot nights of celebration.

Rico Puestel - Equity

Rico Puestel - Equity

Rico Puestel is a phenomenon and currently one of the best artists around when it comes to solid, discerning techno. That's techno that takes no detours, doesn't hide behind vocal samples or need unnecessary, pseudo-intelligent tinkering to get the listeners' attention.

Puestel's two current Cocoon contributions "Equity" and "Immunised" are strongly reminiscent of "Caravel", which he also released on Cocoon Recordings almost exactly a year ago. The mini breaks and prolonged dramatic pauses are all pieces in the puzzle of Puestel's arrangement and together with the hypnotic beats and constantly radiating synths and effects, they make up his own interpretation of techno sound. It buzzes, it shines and with the right PA it's exactly the type of vibe that help us forget the daily grind of dance music madness! That ubiquitous "Let The Bass Kick" sample hasn't felt so at home for a long time!

Techno in 2018 and Cocoon Recordings in 2018: What on earth is left when everything has already been said, done, produced, sampled and triggered, then revisited and re-imagined once again for good measure – and all that, knowing full well the wheel can't actually be reinvented... but hang on a second, isn't that exactly the point? Isn't that the real core of this music? It just keeps on turning like a great, infinite wheel!

The revolution in sound, that magical moment at the very beginning is now, admittedly, a distant memory. To this day however, the origins of the movement reappear time and again as stylistic features in current productions. The uncompromising, distorted rhythms of Detroit, the euphoria of UK Acid House and the subsequent “Second Summer of Love“ or the magical "Bring Down The Walls" vibe of Germany’s post-reunification years which still shapes the Berlin scene today, not forgetting of course, the Hessian excess of the Techno-freaks from Frankfurt.... all this has very little to do with contemporary Techno. The meaningful element of this music, the true core of quality techno lies in itself, not in what once was or where it came from. That's exactly why this music still works, even for those who have been on the bus from day one.

In the meantime, the wheel has turned so far that every conceivable genre has been defined and then packed full of memorable moments. Techno, Minimal, House, Tech House, Deep House, Electro, EDM, Acid etc, etc, etc. Names, styles, references... it’s all smoke and mirrors. Yes, they certainly help us to categorise a track on first listening, but it’s listening to the music, dancing to it and simply letting it be that’s by far the most important thing. Society as a reflection of cultural development shows us where persistent labelling can lead. Left, right, up, down, all this ultimately leads us to lose sight of what’s really important. Music and dancing connect people, overcome language barriers, skin colours and national borders and we have to start looking at our music in this light. Almost 30 years after the Second Summer Of Love, it's time to classify our music not by origin and category, but by the feelings it triggers and how it works.

Which brings us to Cocoon Recordings and above all to Cocoon Head Sven Väth, who demands exactly this from himself and "his" music. Few other DJs embody the ability to "think outside the box" like Frankfurt’s honorary citizen, whether he’s dropping Sade’s version of "Why Can't We Live Together" to close out the night or ushering in Monday morning with the Bangles’ "Just Another Manic Monday". Of course Sven and Cocoon are also synonymous with Techno, nevertheless we should look back over the last few years of Cocoon Recordings with great pride and recognise that strict style guidelines and exaggerated pigeonholing no longer apply. It’s especially true for the compilation series, which having now reached the letter R(ecordings), impressively shows the arc the Frankfurt label’s output continues to span. From soft and melodic with a lot of depth to highly functional and extremely crisp – there’s a creative range on offer that very few labels can boast.
"I listen to and play everything that I like and that touches me. I always pack a genre-spanning record bag, I’m particularly interested in those special tracks - that's exactly how my vision of Cocoon Recordings is about!" (Sven Väth).

The current compilation "R" not only continues this idea, it is a prime example of the label’s philosophy. The illustrious circle of artists on the latest compilation is peppered with such prominent names as Isoleé, Lusine, Pig&Dan, Inigo Kennedy, Ambivalent & Alden Tyrell, ROD and Mano Le Tough. Label representative and Frankfurt original Ingo Boss is once again on board and with contributions from International Anything, John Heckle, Cristi Cons and Eduardo De La Calle, promising new faces from further afield are also represented. Of course, all this doesn’t say much about the actual content, but that's exactly what it's about. Known vs. unknown, origins, discography etc, it’s not important on this LP-Box. Cocoon Recordings delivers what the label stands for and what it does best: promoting new artists, bringing celebrity names on board and above all, not building any musical walls either on or off the dancefloor. With releases like this, it’s clear to us that the journey is ongoing and the wheel will continue to spin. All we have to do is join in and stop trying to label everything we don't know and put it in a box. Our music isn't new anymore, but it remains great and has the energy to connect us, no matter what category or subcategory it belongs to.

JA:CK - Paprika

JA:CK - Paprika

JA:CK is back to showcase his first solo release on Cocoon Recordings.

Tuscany smells of pines and good food, the sea spoils you just like good wine and lots of sun. For some time now we here at Cocoon have been connecting with Tuscany through the legendary Cocoon events at the Tini Soundgarden in Cecina and since last year Segnore JA:CK has also joined our Tuscany vision.

Following on from his track "Naturra" on the 10" with Joel Mull (2017), we’re proud to present two new tracks by the Tuscan artist, which once again possess their very own charm. Dry and grainy, they still come across housey and sexy and to put us properly in the picture, JA:CK’s called the release "Paprika" - short and crisp, red hot and spicy - that's alright with us! Listen up as we bring the Tuscany vibes to the festivals and to Ibiza this summer. Signore e signori: Ecco il tuo uomo!

DMT / Fabe - Ride / Last Shot Of Bob

DMT / Fabe - Ride / Last Shot Of Bob

DMT aka Dorian Paic, Markus Fix and Tobi Neumann dig a little deeper on their next offering. “Ride" does exactly what it says on the tin, taking you on a nine-minute journey that starts with an extended build-up, offering a tantalising glimpse of what’s to come. From then on, House chords and dub elements abound, complemented throughout by beguiling melodic lines, hypnotic vocal samples, effects and some smooth filter action. This co-production from three Tech House specialists harmonises perfectly, creating a well-rounded, homogeneous track that leaves you craving for more!

Born in Berlin but ‘living the life’ in Mannheim, Fabe is the next insider tip on Cocoon worth keeping an eye on. Already shaking up clubs around the world, he’s also part of the Cocoon Ibiza line up this year! However he’s not only turning heads as a DJ, his productions also work on an extremely high level featuring a unique sound signature. His Cocoon Recordings track "Last Shot For Bob" creaks, growls, clatters, squeaks and knocks in all directions creating an incredibly cool and, above all, groovy sound. It’s electronic noise-funk served up in the best techno and house fashion, that drags you onto the dance floor and drenches you in pleasure.

Tim Green - Her Future Ghost

Tim Green - Her Future Ghost

Tracklist:
New Life
Her Future Ghost
Colliding
The Opera
Echo
The Incident
Evaded
Same Life
They want us to fall down
He fee

Tim Green returns to Cocoon with his atmospheric and emotive LP titled ‘Her Future Ghost’. Surprisingly, after all this time, this is his first ever album in his career. An 11-track production following the producer’s recent vinyl EP titled ‘Echo / They Want Us To Fall Down.’

“My concept and direction for “Her Future Ghost" was to write a film score for a film that doesn’t actually exist.” says Tim. “As an avid film score lover, I wanted to create a body of work that took certain traits from common film score practices. For example different themes that repeat throughout, like character themes that evolve and mutate. As well as a narrative and story that develops through the music. In my mind the story is set in the future, based around 2 people, a couple. It based on another planet, a planet so distorted and corrupted in comparison to the world we know now. Essentially they are trying to flee and stay alive in a future society where it is impossible to stay under the radar, where they have to go to extreme lengths not be caught and put into the same system and society as everyone else on this planet."

The album concept was further influenced by the work of Ahmed Emad Eldin, an Egyptian digital artist who is best known for his design on Pink Floyd’s 2014 album ‘The Endless River’. Tim reached out personally to the artist, and the two collaborated on the cover art for ‘Her Future Ghost’ - making this an even more cohesively creative, tailor-made release.

Tim first made his production debut on four:twenty in 2006, going on to release on Dirtybird and Get Physical, before Cocoon tapped the young producer for his first EP on the label in 2011. Whilst the prolific studio head has continued to experiment on other respected labels such as Lee Burridge’s Get Weird label and Cityfox, Cocoon and Sven Vath have helped Tim’s productions reach the biggest dancefloors in Ibiza and across the globe - so it’s fitting he returns to this dance institution for his debut album.
A fiery live DJ, Green has been tapped by Sven Vath to play at Cocoon events around the globe (Amnesia Ibiza, Dockyard Festival, Mysteryland, Parookaville, off Sonar showcase at Pacha Barcelona) as well as solo at some of the world’s most respected clubs; Panorama Bar, WOMB Tokyo, Fabric London and Rex in Paris to name just a few.

Whilst Tim Green’s prowess at moving dancefloors was never in question, the release of ‘Her Future Ghost’ shows the talented producer spreading his wings and pushing himself to fulfill his creative potential - this is just the beginning of a new and exciting chapter of Green’s career.

Tim Green - Echo / They want us to fall down

Tim Green - Echo / They want us to fall down

Tim Green will be returning to Cocoon for his first release on the label since March 2016, with an atmospheric new dual single. ‘Echo/They Want Us To Fall Down’. A cinematic production offering heavy shades of emotion, led by deep chords and rattling percussive sweeps from the expectation-defying producer

Tim first made his production debut on four:twenty in 2006, going on to release on Dirtybird and Get Physical before Cocoon tapped the young producer for his first EP on the label in 2011. Whilst the prolific studio head has continued to experiment on other respected labels such as Lee Burridge’s Get Weird label and Cityfox, Cocoon and Sven Vath have helped Tim’s productions reach the biggest dancefloors in Ibiza and across the globe. Clad with loop pedals and menacing synths, ‘Echo/They Want Us To Fall Down’ embodies TimGreen’s approach as a fiery live DJ; he’s been tapped by Sven Vath to play at Cocoon events around the globe (Amnesia Ibiza, Dockyard Festival, Mysteryland, Parookaville, off Sonar showcase at Pacha Barcelona) as well as solo at some of the world’s most respected clubs; Panorama Bar, WOMB Tokyo, Fabric London and Rex in Paris to name just a few. Now an internationally established and respected name, the release of ‘Echo/They Want Us To Fall Down’ is just the beginning of an exciting new chapter in Tim Green’s career.

Johannes Volk - Tears and Walls

Johannes Volk - Tears and Walls

Cocoon Recordings is back with a bang after the winter break, cranking up the pressure once again. What’s more, we’re seriously pleased that we’ve managed to land Johannes Volk for the new season. Johannes has been making us smile with his productions for more than 12 years and considering his 2006 debut appeared on Jeff Mills' "Axis" label, it's easy to guess which direction his Cocoon release is going. There are no dreamy minimal sounds or deep house trips this time round, instead you’ll find headstrong techno pumping out of the speakers.

"Tears & Walls" drives forward relentlessly with its meaty kick and metallic open hi-hats setting the pace. Energetic and demanding throughout, Johannes Volk certainly takes no prisoners! "A Little Story About Time And Space" follows in its footsteps although the mood here is notably more Detroit, taking us back to productions on cult labels like Red Planet, Metroplex or the Axis Records sound. Volk layers the track with more prominent harmonies and hypnotic arpeggios, giving it a subtle yet highly effective trance touch. The warm analog strings in the middle section underline this emotional impact and make "A Little Story About Time And Space" a guaranteed sunrise song for the upcoming spring and summer season; heartwarming and dance floor friendly in equal measures!

Butch, Kölsch - Countach

There’s a big reason to celebrate, as we face the 150th release on Cocoon Recordings! That’s right, 150 prime cuts with a number of milestones. It’s hard to single out any one for particular praise but even so, we still have something very special planned for the anniversary. With a certain affection, we wanted to present an artist from the region so it’s with great pleasure that we can unveil “Countach” from the one and only Butch, as a more than worthy anniversary release. The native Mainzer and sometime Berliner is without doubt one of the most dazzling German Tech-House artists of the
moment. His performances contain a full dose of funkiness and his self-made promo videos never fail to entertain, providing a lot of fun in the process. First and foremost though, Butch is an exceptional producer, who, as one of the chosen few, knows how to mix together those special ingredients that drag us onto the dance floor again and again. What’s more, since we really have something to celebrate, we don’t just have an original from Butch, it’s accompanied by a remix from none other than Kölsch!

If the term "man of the moment" applies to any artist then it’s got to be Kölsch! At least that’s true when it comes to hypnotic techno with a subtle yet seductive touch of trance. Kölsch is currently operating on another level. Whatever he touches turns to gold, turns moments on the dance floor into unforgettable experiences to be written down in the annals of techno. His Kompakt release "Cassiopeia", as well as his remixes including the Chemical Brothers, stand out as musical testimonies of the past two years. The series of musical landmarks from the house of Kölsch is endless and his remix of Butch’s "Countach" is no exception!

With poise and purpose like the Lamborghini of the same name, Kölsch takes us on an epic journey with his remix here, but as things progress he still has the foresight to jams on the brakes, keeping the dance floor honest by slowing things down to cruise control for the middle of his ride. What a trip, a true adventure, a techno road movie that could only come from Kölsch!

Of course, after a remix like that, there’s not much left to say but this is techno and our man Butch is anything but normal! He just knows instinctively how to bring things to the boil and demonstrates it very impressively again on his original version. Implementing a ‘nasty’ arpeggio line that captivates us before being hunted down by a prime-time filter, Butch summons up an acid monster that works without a 303 but is no less effective. If that’s not enough Butch also proves himself a master of ecstatic dance during the closing sections, serving up an emotional string arrangement that glimmers and shines. As a result, “Countach” with his nice fat strings becomes an instant dance floor catcher. It’ll probably be very difficult to pick a favourite from these two mixes, which makes this cut even fatter! It’s a great release brimming with pathos and full-on emotions.

Azimute are Cesare Marchese and Swiss producer Philippe Quenum, who’s certainly no stranger to in-the-know techno heads. Although they have just seven releases under their belt, they’ve actually had output on labels like Crosstown Rebels or even Transmat in a relatively short period of time. Now they’ve found their way on to Cocoon Recordings and what the pair conjour up together leaves us totally speechless.

"The Secret" gives us a glimpse of what we’ve just described because as it stands, Azimuth are still something of an insider tip. Intriguingly, their Cocoon debut contains one of the highest ‘soul’ factors of any of our releases, packed with beguiling vocals and click-clacking percussion sounds from the shallows of the techno-sound universe. Meanwhile the additional house mix is decorated with warmand hypnotic filter chords as Azimute serve up a production of incredible intensity and depth.

These two original versions certainly get things off on the right foot and will no doubt be receiving a lot of attention over the coming weeks, but that’s not all. There’s also a Cristi Cons remix on top that unfolds over 11 minutes and 34 seconds in true Villalobos or Cadenza style as the legend unleashes his minimal vibe, opening yet another fascinating musical door. So there you have it - three versions that are by no means commonplace but have already been on heavy rotation for days! Mile grace Azimute!

Rico Puestel - 973272

Rico Puestel - 973272

Although Rico Puestel has been producing since 2005, he still seems to be something of an insider tip. Since "Caravel" though, his August release on Cocoon Recordings, things have taken a dramatic turn with Puestel currently enjoying "man of the moment" status, especially when it comes to progressive techno and peak time action on the dance floor. "973" picks up exactly where "Caravel" left off, kicking powerfully with irresistable, effect-loaded breaks that really twist your melon. This one really works you over but there's also feeling and a touch of elegance, in fact we can't remember hearing anything like this since Len Faki's Dustin Zahn Remix! "973" proves that "Caravel" was no flash in the pan, just one tantalising glimpse into the musical world of Rico Puestel and that's not the end of it... "272" is a little more stripped down and chilled to start with, but soon opens up into the same crazy atmosphere as "973". This is dominated by an up-and-running arpeggio synth, which combines with the now familiar effects-break motif to create an incredible hypnotic effect. A little less brutal than "973" but drenched in more reverb, "272" is something like "kicking Deep Techno" with a nod to the Tech House corner in the style of Mark Broom or Joris Voorn.

Mr. Puestel serves up two choice cuts here and there's no question that 973272 will be with us for a while.
Buckle up, hold tight and off we go!

Sven Väth - Sound of the 18th season

Sven Väth - Sound of the 18th season

DJ-Mixes often do little more but keeping up a certain mood. To establish a mood like this, masterful Sven Väth only needs a couple of moments. But this is it not enough for the inimitable DJ from Frankfurt am Main. Väth wants to introduce us to an entire world of electronic sounds. The music is an end to itself, yet at the same time, it is more: Väth employs it to express his passion for the whole scene, to tell about the adventures he has experienced traveling, about his love for his friends, his children, his girlfriend and particularly to his fans all around the world.

Väth tunes into the Sound of the 18th Season on a gentle note. Just a touch of a vocal and a fluttering riff display a sense adventure. Willow arouses our curiosity for the night, the people, the laughs and for electronic music. A little later, the groove becomes more insistent and Eduardo de la Calle from Madrid has the crowd gather around his pulsating bassline and crackling hi-hats. With sparing chords, the Spaniard reaches us as sensitive, emotional beings.

With the daring sing-a-long of Basti Grub, Väth shows his playful side and another, deep, scratchy voice flashes a profound humor which is superseded by the nonchalance and coolness of Eddie Fowlkes and singer Na Dee. With Fort Romeau, processed voices spread a trippy, unreal vibe and give us an inkling of what is to be expected in the second part of the set. Moments later, Väth blends a new, very special bassline into the mix, which has been composed by no other than ever full of joie de vivre Chez Damier. Ricardo Villalobos's casual, eye-opening grooves appear to be the ideal counterbalance to Damier´s unbounded bassline. Damier and Villalobos whisper and laugh, repeating the word "Conspiracy" over and over again. Väth senses a hidden relation between Villalobos and John Tejada, whose improbable, space-grabbing synthesizer sounds can be felt all the way from the soles of our feet to our scalp. With DJ Slyngshot, the mix becomes more physical and raw. But Väth does not abandon the subtlety of the first part of the mix. With Paul, he immerses himself deeper into the iridescent, psychedelic dynamics of the music. With his unique blend of joy and serenity, Isolée manages to express the magic of electronic dance music in just one perfect track. The spacey, retro-futuristic sounds of Kink set a first high point and with Adam Port & Stereo MC's, Väth gives us a short breather before taking off to the second part of the mix with one of the mind-blowing hits of 2017.

"Avalon" by &Me puts a hymnic vocal and unbridled tribal percussions on top of a floating house groove creating an unimagined, spiritual depth. Patrice Baeumel absorbs this pathos and creates a sonic vastness which has us connect to the sublime beauty of the universe. With Fideles, Väth resolves this tension in loose synth-sounds. The ghostly "On the Way" by Gaiser with its uncanny voices feels like a message from another, surreal world. With the crazy, tempestuous synths of Aubrey, Väth gives us an impression of the bold endgame of the 18th season, of the state we will be in as we leave the party. Only moments later, he already pushes us a step further with a wonderfully immediate Chicago-House-Stomper from Slam. "Clap your hands just a little bit louder", the singer keeps repeating, full of passion. With Electric Rescue, Väth grants us sense of safety and relief. But just for a moment. Väth tunes into the finale with ROD's "Hor". For a moment, madness erupts out of raw energy on the dancefloor. With Secret Cinema & Egbert, Väth is lingering for a moment to reach a new climax in the unlikely mix of sirens and shouts of Peder Mannerfelt & Hodge, which is topped by Rico Puestel with carnevalesque turbulence. Väth plays Barnts “If she says she is a healer, she is a healer”, one of the truly magical numbers of the year. Barnt manages to fuse the mysterious, the remote and the immediate into one sound. Then it´s already time to say good bye. But with Väth the end is not the end. Inigo Kennedy's groping, longing sounds suggest a new beginning and with the incredible strings of Paul Nazca we are already in the next chapter of Sven Väth's fabulous journey.

Väth's 18th season on Ibiza was one of the most beautiful in years. With Nina Kraviz, Adam Beyer, Ricardo Villalobos and Richie Hawtin, the most amazing artists techno and house have to offer appeared each for a couple of nights. The lucky ones who already partied with Cocoon know that the bedsprings have to wait for long hours as the afterparties are legendary. This year, things went totally overboard at this seaons´s closing party at KM5. So you might already feel a yearning for season 19. Until that happens, you might meet Sven at one of the fascinating places he will turn into mad houses during winter and spring.

Dewalta / Alex & Digby - Bitter Earth Dub / Citadel

Dewalta / Alex & Digby - Bitter Earth Dub / Citadel

It’s good to know those ‘wow!’ moments still exist, like when we heard the first few seconds of DeWalta's „Bitter Earth Dub“. First things first though... this latest adventure in Cocoon’s cult 10inch vinyl-only series comes from said David Koch aka DeWalta with Alex & Digby also turning heads with „Citadel“ on the flipside. Hailing from Berlin, DeWalta, has clearly been influenced by the musical heritage of Basic Channel or classics such as G-Man's Spartacus - a force and power that still has a place in the sets of Villalobos, Raresh and many other DJs, and rightly so. Timeless, kicking, reduced to the essentials but still interfused with daring space sounds and melodic shreds, „Bitter Earth Dub“ speaks to our deepest dance impulses, catches hold and doesn’t let go. We’re already calling out to Berlin for “more of the same” and looking forward to the next cuts to emerge from DeWalta’s Studio.

On the Flipside, the opening salvos of „Citadel“ suggest Alex & Digby are taking a much more minimal, electronic approach, however it soon veers off in a completely different direction. Deep organ harmonies meet Black Dog and B12-like sound effects and an almost soulful deepness takes hold as we immerse ourselves in the track. „Citadel“ offers the perfect canvas for DJs who like using acapellas to create their own remixes live in the club, but even in its original form, it’s still guarenteed to give the crowd goose bumps.

Extrawelt - Fear Of An Extra Planet LP

Extrawelt - Fear Of An Extra Planet LP

EXTRAWELT are back! Although in fairness, they were never gone. On the contrary, since their first release on James Holden's Border Community Label dropped in 2005, Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe have been responsible for a plethora of classics including "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" and "In Aufruhr", their two seminal albums on Cocoon Recordings. The duo are one of the most booked live acts worldwide, commanding a huge fan base. Their performances are the stuff of legend, making them the absolute highlight at every club and festival they play. So it’s with great pride and respect, that we can announce the release of Extrawelt’s third album for Cocoon Recordings. "Fear Of An Extra Planet" completes the Cocoon trilogy and the excitement growing among their fans represents a new high in the history of EXTRAWELT!

Musically, of course, there’s enormous pressure on EXTRAWELT to deliver, but this is dismissed with a playful disregard and they are clearly focused on the job in hand. The album title "Fear Of An Extra Planet" sounds cinematic, like some art-house science fiction film, without giving too much away. However, from the first seconds of the opening track "Superposition", the album title makes 100% sense and sets the scene for the rest of the trip. We are immersed in wide open spaces and invited to explore dark and dusky worlds that transport us back to their Border Community years. Timeless and elegant, "Superposition" perfectly captures the epic, dream like quality that made James Holden's label so influential.

Second up, "Gott ist Schrott" takes a much more minimalist approach with its retro 80s drum programming, monster bass lurking in the breaks and playful Rhodes/synth riffs that span the divide between early German techno and deep Detroit electro with a distinctive film soundtrack aesthetic. "Oddification" continues this theme, adding extra spice reminiscent of the techno-synth vibe of Detroit with a punchy, almost Prodigy-style breakbeat complete with shredded vocal samples that gives us a taste of what’s in store. "Gentle Venom" then takes the breakbeat motif to the next stage. The main focus here is the classy sprinter of a bassline, peppered with a flurry of intricate and subtle effects and modulations, that immediately trigger an intense, movie-like ‘in pursuit’ feeling.

With „Das Grosse Flimmern" we cautiously approach the album’s high point. It’s still in keeping with the soundtrack aesthetics, but faster and with more urgency. Almost hypnotically, Extrawelt invade us with an energy and impetus that always radiates from their music. Next in line is "Silly Idol" and here Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe opt again for a more minimal tack, focusing even more intensely on the dance floor to reveal a pulsing, twisted heart to the album.

"Punch The Dragon" is the hidden gem of the collection, utilising and melting together the most bombastic and playful elements. This one is totally off the hook, a sensory overload in an acoustic widescreen format! Then we have the title track "Fear Of An Extra Planet" which perfectly sums up the album concept. It opens up like a film score, with minimal passages following dark sequences that morph into dreamy melodies, all grounded by cool, constantly alternating analogue drum patterns. If you’re not listening closely, you might get the impression that three or four different titles are mixed together; such is the effortless flow of the album.

As we near our destination, "The Friendly Coroner" really does honour its name. The morbid charm of the title is captured by a fluid bassline and melodic arrangements that border on the absurd, until the funky drum beat finally drops. In our mind’s eye we see a cheerful medical doctor removing his bloody gloves, hanging his smock in the closet and vibing out in his neon drenched workspace. And there we sit, glued to our cinema seat, submerged in the different textures EXTRAWELT have conjured up on "Fear Of An Extra Planet". Over the course of the last title, the strings usher in the final acknowledgments as the credits roll. The dramatic end of "2084" leaves us transfixed in front of a black screen in a large, dark room safe in the knowledge that we’ve just witnessed a science fiction epic.

Extrawelt - Blackout EP

Extrawelt - Blackout EP

Finally, the long awaited third part of the EXTRAWELT trilogy on Cocoon Recordings is on the way, and with this advance 12" release of "Fear Of An Extra Planet (Blackout)" and "Hail The Whale" we are given an incredibly strong first impression of EXTRAWELT's third Album. "Fear Of An Extra Planet (Blackout)" in particular, has the potential to become a monumental club hit. The title track from the new EXTRAWELT album is, strictly speaking, more than just a maxi-version, it's almost a separate EXTRAWELT remix of the original, fully optimized for the clubs. Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe have let loose a real bass and drum monster on us.

From the very first second, the doubled-up kick bursts from the bassbins to signal the journey into this new EXTRAWELT adventure is underway. The acid-heavy bassline completes the pressure-packed arrangement until the track suddenly stops dead. Sometimes it's just so simple and effective to completely hit the brakes before re-energizing and building up to full speed again. The 12" version of "Fear Of An Extra Planet (Blackout) "is a powerful techno bomb and for us - one of the highlights of the year! The exclusive, non-album cut "Hail the Whale", starts off a little more subdued. However, the cool old-skool cowbell intro with light Chicago house touches soon develops an energy through a driving electro bassline that shakes us from the initial calm. Although "Hail the Whale" doesn't appear on the album, it perfectly represents the science fiction sound aesthetics on EXTRAWELT's new LP. Sci-fi FX, distorted vocals and dramatic synth lines envelop us in an extremely intense soundtrack atmosphere. From warp speed space travel to misty wastelands on strange planets and breathtaking pursuit scenes, "Hail the Whale" conjures up all manner of images as it hammers from the speakers. To be honest, the notion of "grand cinema" has already been used too often but in this case it just fits! We are primed and we are ready for the new EXTRAWELT!

Joel Mull, JA:CK - Duke of Huddinge / Nattura

Joel Mull, JA:CK - Duke of Huddinge / Nattura

The almighty Cocoon 10“ series is back and it is swedish techno grand wizzard JOEL MULL and italian freshman JA:CK who gives us the rush on the floor this time! After his last Cocoon Release "Harmonautic String" Joel Mull presents a deep techno-dub-monster this time. „Duke of Huddinge“ is a long builder with a slight Craig/„Throw“ touch that keeps on growing and growing. This is super deep techno with lots of space, echoes and even dark melody bits. What to play at the next after hour when the sun is reaching high noon? Joel Mull has the answer!

Coming up next is „Nattura“ by italian rookie JA:CK. Hells Bells meets a Guy Gerber harmonies with a strong hypnotic appeal. This is a musical journey on the dance floor and the long ending part is an unbelievable mix-outro for all the DJs out there who know how to use this properly. Insane and romantic at the same time, this is JA:CK, this is „Nattura“ - benvenuto nel club!

Rico Puestel - Caravel

Rico Puestel - Caravel

Cocoon Recordings presents COR12146, the dignified follow-up 12“ by Rico Puestel that we were waiting for so long. Cocoon head Sven Väth himself is dropping „Caravel“ for quite some time already and the godfather of German techno smashes floors around the globe with this hot and dirty bombshell. Take all of the rocking techno ingredients that you loved so much over the last decade and you get a melt down of Dustin Zahn, Industrial Strength Soundhack and many more milestones to name... however Puestel created a very unique own style out of all these influences and the result is simply outstanding. Sven played the acetate of this so often that we even had to cut a second one. Techno-trainspotter worldwide went mad for this one and were killing us with their requests and track- ID inquiries. The wait is over guys! „Caravel“ and „Est“ (on the flipside) are two cutting edge techno monsters that hold enough energy to power your car, your computer, your phone, your life...we cannot imagine what Rico will show us next ;)

Nastia, Einzelkind - Cocoon Ibiza Mix

Nastia, Einzelkind - Cocoon Ibiza Mix

The annual Cocoon Ibiza mix is back with another bang this summer with the essential 2017 edition mixed by two top talents in Nastia and Einzelkind.
Nastia is one of the hottest DJs in the world right now. The Ukrainian is headlining clubs and festivals around the globe and showcasing not only great technical skills but also a real breadth and depth of techno knowledge. Focussing on DJing rather than production, Nastia has also run her own festival, Strichka, and has been resident at key clubs Arma17, Fuse and Ampere. As such she is a perfect fit for this job.

Kicking off with vital veterans 100HZ, she wastes no time in getting down to a thumping, jazz-tinged groove. From there, techno pioneers like Luke Slater sit next to d&b don Calibre and Detroit legends like Terrence Dixon. The resulting mix is tight and cohesive, and journeys through acid, jacking drum tracks and driving stuff that never lets up.

Taking care of the second disc is Einzelkind, the German who runs three labels including JAX and Pressure Traxx and for more than a decade has been releasing on Get Physical, Playhouse and Cécille, amongst others. He is a no-nonsense DJ who has played the likes of fabric and Space, and as such has helped put his hometown of Frankfurt on the underground dance map.

His selections call upon plenty of his own tracks, both solo and produced with the likes of Ricardo Villalobos, Robin Scholz and Markus Fix. The resulting 70 odd minute mix is more stripped back and cerebral than the first. It is always married to a slick underlying groove and is embellished with minimal synths and brain melting pads that work perfectly in the late night and freaky hours in the club. Always keeping you on your toes, it ducks and dives, bobs and weaves in fluid fashion, and is a nice heady yin to the more physical yang of disc one.

Once again then, both these CDs embody what it is to head to the legendary Cocoon party at Amnesia each Monday of an Ibiza summer.

Einzelkind - Free Savioni EP

Einzelkind - Free Savioni EP

Please welcome Frankfurts very own EINZELKIND as the latest addition to our artist pool. His first single 12“ contribution for Cocoon Recordings seems to be endless and gets nicely spiced up with hypnotic vocal elements and discoide space sounds. „Free Savioni“ already made the terrace floor on one of our Cocoon ibiza nights move big time. It actually had such a strong impact that we immediately had to sign it after Einzelkind played it!

„Aya Curanderito“ on the flip side sounds like a late night party deep in the forest witch trolls dancing around a fire, this is deep shamanic business with a slight Villalobos touch (no wonder as the two joined forces before for some other releases already). Cool and trippy, something for the long nighs at the infamous Robert Johnson club or Berlin’s Panoramabar. Welcome señor Einzelkind!

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation Q

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation Q

Cocoon Recordings presents „Q“ - the new edition of one of the longest running techno compilation series worldwide! We do not want to start again by mentioning how unbelievable it is that we have reached letter Q already ... and we do not even want to imagine how fast we will probably arrive at XYZ, if time continues to fly like this. The actual thrilling part of this compilation series is simply the fact that Techno seems to not grow any older in this form - isn’t this amazing?

Here, in the truest sense of the word, we have a compilation of timeless material before us. With a broad bandwidth ranging from „futuristic-deconstructive“ compositions such as "Da Dang" by Alex & Digby and "Fragile" by Carlos Nilmmns or the many contributions to Q that fancy almost anachronistic acid and trance influences: Everything sounds fresh and forward thinking!

The vocal parts and the arrangement of “All I Can (About you)" by Baba Stiltz appear like electronic singer songwriting. The musical approach of Baba Stiltz is slightly similar to big Pepe Bradock productions and their Dada aesthetic. In contrast to this, "Anno Domini" by Kamran Sadeghi follows the sound approach of early Maurizio / Basic Channel records and reminds us that modern techno does not always have to be impulsive and kicking, and certainly does not define itself over the most extreme "drops" (sick!).

Harmonies and melodies of all kinds and the almost dreamy and playful sound arrangements are something like the common element on Q. For example, “Ode to Be" by Sebastian Mullaert works like a decent sunriser that marks the end of a long night. We especially dig the almost shamanic vocalsamples here! Harald Björk takes it a few steps further in the harmony corner. His song “Spring" is on the edge to an ambient / chill out song and unfolds a a great hypnotic effect. "Toms Heimweh“ by Acid Pauli and the demanding "Sequence in D" by Fort Romeau follow into a similar direction, however both pieces are build on slightly more solid beats despite their melodic basic mood.

What brings us to the tracks of the middle section of Q - because there is a lot of material with even more power and floor potential waiting for us. Above all is "Blitzar" by US legend John Tejada. Metallically cool, but equally sexy and bass-heavy at the same time, Tejada throws crazy designed sounds on us - what an insane master piece! "Pulse Train" by Söllscher & Siech, on the other hand, follows a more traditional techno approach with a strong beat & bass foundation and cool acid lines that slowly build up in interaction with a driving ride. The „vapourspacy“ string sounds make the Detroit Techno reminiscence finally complete. All things acid is the way to go for Johannes Volk, too. His "Luminance" is a bit more consistent in an almost old-school acid manner and appears to be something like the most clubby track of the album. "If I'd Care More" by Rico Puestel is perfectly set in the tracklisting on position 6 as is turns out this one is something like the "all-embracing track" on Q: Puestel unites in his contribution the different approaches and lines of the other pieces and delivers the secret title track of the compilation. Here you can find dry and kicking beats, dreamy melody parts, but also hypnotic basslines and lots of crazy sounds in the arrangement. Exactly like the overall vibe of Q this one can’t described as "futuristic" and certainly not "oldskool" - it is simply timeless! Puestel brings the essence of Q to the point and this track alone makes us confident that there will an issue R following next year... „es wird immer weiter gehen, Musik als Träger von Ideen“ (Kraftwerk).

Various Artists - Dots And Pearls IV

Various Artists - Dots And Pearls IV

Cocoon Recordings is proud to present the 4th edition of our inhouse-compilation-series „Dots and Pearls“. Cocoon Recordings never has been a narrow minded and singled sided techno label with just one style to refer to. The bandwidth of artists in the label roster such as Roman Flügel, Minilogue, Guy Gerber, Âme or even Boys Noize (just to name a few) proofs that Sven Väth and his label managers have always combined a wide range of techno and house subgenres throughout all the years. Electronic music for all different kinds of listening- and body-movement-purposes.

„Dots and Pearls“ volume 4 is no exception to this, it is indeed another perfect mix-compilation that exactly refers to this very own style and label policy. Of course Markus Fix, as the man in charge here in terms of compiling and mixing the back-catalogue (combined with four brand new tracks), paints more of a tech-house coloured picture and follows his favourite genre thereby. However by selecting tracks and remixes from artists like Sven Väth & Roman Flügel, Mirko Loko, Tim Green, Einzelkind & Robin Schulz and even Ricardo Tobar & Lawrence, Fix simply shows how big the choice was he could pick his tools for this compilation.

Markus Fix himself has contributed a previously unreleased track to the mix alongside his colleagues Argy, Christian Burkhardt and Jimi Jules. The four brand new additions follow the basic concept and label philosophy with their great diversity and unequal styles. Fix and company add acid house, 80s flavoured retro sounds and compositions with a deep and hypnotic cinematic vibe.

Dots and Pearls volume four does not only represent the musical output of the recent Cocoon Recordings releases. This compilation proves that it is still possible to publish modern electronic dance music with a vibrant touch but from different corners of the game without the need to sell out or even turn mainstream. Labels like Cocoon Recordings and compilations like this one are badly needed these days to keep the spirit alive and to feed all the hungry heads that just won’t catch up with current lifestyle trends and hypes. By staying true to ourselves and to the sound we fallen in love we stay underground and fresh. Innovation still happens on the dance floors around the globe however we focus on all the special dance floors, the ones with love, passion and energy: The floors where we can see and connect the dots and where can find our pearls. Ladies & Gentlemen, this is COCOON RECORDINGS, THIS IS DOTS AND PEARLS VOLUME FOUR!

Rico Puestel - Neyst

Rico Puestel - Neyst

Rico Puestel is in charge for our Cocoon Recordings 144th release. Rico is a "producer animal" who released more than 100 tracks &amp; remixes since 2005 under various project names such as Dinamoe, Central Scrutinizer and of course under his main moniker Rico Puestel. The enormous amount of productions shaped Rico's knowledge and taste and his new Cocoon release "Neyst" and "Enokid" seems to be the logical result of his long journey through the techno-universe.

Puestels style is very unique and merges elements of dark and hypnotic mainfloor techno as well as orchestral sounds and even industrial elements. "Enokid" is the perfect hypnotic and dark techno circle that keeps on progressing and building up into sheer madness. No fast food, no leightweight, this is heavy techno business! "Neyst" comes with a little more of a Chicago house vibe however it is again still deep in Puestels very own style. We especially fancy the crazy break in the middle with the spaced out room effect part and the melody coming in after the break. As stompy and musclepacked this track is, it still seems to be very musical and deep at the same time - what a trip! This one demands a good and proper sound system, well what other Cocoon Release doesn't?

Ilario Alicante - Virgo Storm

Ilario Alicante is back on the track and he simply beats the shit out us! The italian techno maestro presents a stronger than strong release that defines the Alicante-sytle in pure perfection. The extreme Detroit flavoured Alicante double pack tracker comes with remixes by Adventice and Mark Broom. Alicantes originals „Virgo Storm“ and „Hypno“ are based on a massive and masculine beat programming and wave the „Purpose Maker“ and „Axis“ flag like no other of his releases so far. This is heavy material - this feeds Rob Hood and Jeff Mills fans and we can see and hear Alicantes admiration for the Underground Resistance back catalogue here! Adventice (DJ Deep & Romain Poncet) remix for „Virgo Storm“ follows this direction however it leaves out the manic synth elements and incorporates even more peaktime-floor-action-sounds that have only one message: Total dancefloor madness!

Mark Brooms remix for „Hypno“ introduces a very cool but deep-dark and filtered organ-bassline which gives his remix an even more hypnotic touch in contrast to the cheeky and nasty original by Ilario Alicante. This 4-track-package proofs that good and solid techno is still fresh and Alicante leaves a major footprint with this release! Play this loud and drive your speakers to the edge, azzurro Alicante is back on Cocoon Recordings!

Within electronic music Sven Väth represents more than a single style. Sven embodies the music as a whole, he cherishes every facet of Techno and House. Väth has experienced the music as it emerged in the mid-eighties. From this moment on, he has helped to shape it year after year. Väth produced seminal music, his labels created and create its very own unmistakable brand of music, he ran a club and several booking agencies. Cocoon is a global identification mark for high quality parties and festivals. Those are major achievements, but they are overshadowed by Väth DJing abilities. Like no one else, Väth manages to capture the current figuration of our beloved electronic dance music in its entirety and melds it into a single, stirring story.

In the summer 2016, Väth invited the global electronic music community to the Mediterranean island of Ibiza for the 17th time. Soft, friendly chords and bird chirps from Swedish producer Harald Björk woo us to the dance floor. The kittenish hookline is open to any kind of playful swing, yet it follows the tender, springy groove with the self-assuredness of a dream walker. Väth weaves Ripperton ́s upright beats into the track, using suggestive, mysterious reverberations of a distant, graceful melody. With its delicacy, it captivates our attention becoming more and more decisive and insistent with every iteration. Melting the rhythms of Reggae and House together, Rhauder absorbs this very special mood of composed ease with an unique groove, and develops it further with an attentive, cautious voice of Paul St. Hilaire. Kamran Sadeghi's fascinating synth hooks develop complex, space-grabbing shapes reminding of clouds as they change their shapes within seconds. The groove being able to structure those intricacies without dwindling their richness. Alex & Digby translate this colossal sonic drama into a humorous, imaginative orchestra of rustling and chirping sounds. The track is grounded by a beautiful vocal magically jumping between something like an awe-inspiring prayer, a detached meditation or a childlike singalong.

We do not understand the words, but we feel the deep self-awareness of this very special human being. Väth pushes the firm bassline of Traumer into the track. Pulsating with an unexpected timing, Traumer ́s bass positions the set firmly on the dancefloor. But it is not time to take off. Not just yet. With the gentle piano chords and the luscious house groove of Omar S from Detroit, Väth reaches a magical Zen moment. With John FM ́s vocal, a charming love song lightens up for a brief moment. Eddie Fowlkes translates this sense of longing into imaginative, rich Fusion Jazz developing a strange poetry. Christopher Rau contrasts this appreciation for elegance with a determined bass drum, centering the mix again. Finally Väth plays a track of his own, the gracefully innocent and downright funny electro pop of "Electrica Salsa" from 1986. Remixer Roman Flügel uses futuristic, crystal-clear sounds, simultaneously revealing the modernity of the track and its striking wit. With Väth doing his legendary “Baba Baba” chant we are getting ready to reach the destination of the first stage of our journey. Väth led us carefully into the night, employing a richness of sounds and emotions rarely heard before. He plays the final track by Pantha du Prince. The electro pop of the '80s resonates in this track as well. As Väth's offhand humor is transformed into detached thoughtfulness, Flügel's agile sounds dissolve into a slow drift.

The first part of "The Sound of the 17th Season" guided us into the night, now we are ready for a release of energy and passion. Levon Vincent does not even need a bass drum for an electrifying, sweeping piece of House Music. With a deeply pulsating bassline and an over-the-top organ solo Redshape manages to be even more thrilling. Hot City Orchestra and André Galluzzi suspend this tremendous tension with an atmospheric techno track, rooting floating, fluttering echoes with serious, focused acid sounds. Adam Port merges the diverging energies into a single, pulsating synth pattern. Damian Lazarus and Kölsch release this straightforward flow with soulful melodies, a beautiful set of strings offering even deeper und richer emotional shades. Rendering this forthcoming, up-front temper into nagging electro sounds, Margot condenses Kölsch's exuberance into a deep euphoria, it ́s naïve fun reminding of "Electrica Salsa". Margot wobbling synths mutate unnoticeably into Danny Daze ́ sawing acid tracks. Creating another level of urgency Daze gets rid of all subtleties, drawing its energy entirely from the track itself, employing improbable changes in the pace of the groove.

With the 1994 Progressive House milestone "Robot", Väth plays another track of his own. Techno, Ambient and Eletronica are fused in a complex structure of overlapping synth tracks. In his very special remix, Kölsch uses a grumbling, doggish synth pattern to anchor all the multifaceted sounds. With a gloomy, huge techno track, Slam exhibit another level of seriousness. But with the trustworthily whispered words "I wanna take you there" this track has a charming side as well. Robert Hood picks up this tension between techno and soul and pushes it even further moving a short, filtered vocal snippet through the stereo spectrum. With Bart Skills, Väth reaches his finale: the bass and bassline are complemented by the springy swing of the hookline like the dot on the I. The very special Johannes Heil has siren-like winds flashing up abruptly. An instant later they are gone. Väth immerses himself into the pure, rhythm-driven energy with Emmanuel's heavy, resonant synth tracks. Jangling strings create an eeriness as an enthralling counterpart. Then it's time to say goodbye. With the labyrinthine, trippy synthesizers of Konstantin Sibold “Mutter”, Väth manages to recollect no less than three motifs that led us through this amazing set: with its series of different chapters, “Mutter” reflects the DJ set as a journey of many episodes, each being so different that we are never able to anticipate what is coming next. The infinitely rich shades of the synthesizers reflect Väth's insatiable love for electronic sounds. Last but not least, Konstantin Sibold's track is a tribute to Sven Väth's "Robot" and the celebrated style of Väth ́s legendary Harthouse label.

Alex Bau - Illuse

Alex Bau - Illuse

Welcome the bavarian producer head Alex Bau with his first single 12“ on Cocoon Recordings. After he set his heavy warehouse techno track „The Whip“ on this years Cocoon Compilation „P“, we are happy to present you two of the strongest industrial Techno tracks ever released on Cocoon Recordings in the past years.
We would say this is a double A-side release, which first track is called „Illuse“. Crispy drums and percussions, mixed with his punchy low end and some industrial sounds cooked by Alex Bau, create the melt down moments on the dancefloors in full effect.

On „Etah“ we get deep compressed drum programming push us forward to the middle of the club and ends up in a hypnotic synthesizer sequence which goes directly into the mind. This is the high energy what he brought to the point one more time. We remember all the crazy freakout moments we had with his strong „On Synth“ track in 2015. No extra effects need to launch this rocket.

Two heavy weights of peak time Techno music with an own signature sound, ready for some ground shaking club nights

Who would have thought of this at the beginning of this compilation series? It’s letter P everybody, which means this is one of the longest running techno compilation series around! Loaded with power and purity the latest edition of our series offers you a great selection of freaking crazy and kicking techno tunes.

Our last compilations followed the basic concept of good club nights with an introduction part, the peak time and some cool downs and even after hour sounds. In contrast to this we open the clubdoor with P right from the start, no time for easy chit chat and soft entries - we want to move our feet and heads right from the beginning and here we are: Mirko Loko is in control for the beginning. His track "Artificiel" is energetic, crazy and minimalistic at the same time. With destroyed digital sound fragments, yet consistently demanding, Mirko Loko opens the door and welcomes you to the club of P!

Wouter de Moor follows with his "Tesla Coil" - a speedy acid tune that has only one message: Freak New Release Information out! With the pace, the simple structure and those crazy hihats „Tesla Coil" sounds almost like an old steam locomotive. The sounds hiss and the beat rolls and the clubtrain won’t stop! Einzelkind & Robin Scholz present their "Rhythm Factory" project next and their mutual work "n.2guts“. Another kickin’ acid-tune, full of power with a energy loaded forward boost. Slightly slower than Wouter de Moor but certainly with a similar vibe the two tunes act as a perfect double-pack!

Coming up next is Redshape, one of the hottest techno-acts of the past two years. He also follows the red acid-tip of the previous tracks. Redshape adds a bit of a Detroit- and Dopplereffekt vibe to his acid shot and looks clearly at the peak time with this! Swedish La Fleur is another act that made quite some waves in 2016. She contributes her track "Chemicality" to our selection which is nothing less than another great techno anthem! She adds epic synths but manages to create a powerful techno composition here that won’t slow down at all.

„Porridge" by Alex Smoke comes in sixth place in our selection. Mister Smoke is doing the shuffle here and creates massive musical tension by using cool but insane sounds. This is high voltage and a sure shot for this years festival and open air season.

"The Whip" by Alex Bau at position seven is big time chicago-techno with a strong DJ Sneak / Blu Funk feeling. Hypnotic, oppressive and with no frills. Alex Bau takes some risks with „The Whip" and won’t be everybodys darling with this piece but dropped at the right time in the right club this one will take you to dancefloor heaven and it will be one of the highlights of the night! Speaking of highlights of the night: Please welcome techno champion Dustin Zahn to our club! His "Sun Breaker" is powerful, strong and masculine. The initial hypnotic loop aesthetics progresses fairly quickly in a massive production full of powerful synths and freaked out sounds. This is great and techno at its best!

Coming up next is "Rising Lines" by our Cocoon Recordings artist Ilario Alicante. The Berlinitalian delivers another of his strong deep techno monsters and follows the course set by Dustin Zahn: Big string sounds and twisted harmonies makes "Rising Lines" an epic techno cinema highlight!

And we won’t stop or slow down here yet, we even shift one gear up by throwing Josh Winks "Bouyantly Grounded" into the our selection. A fat fish for sure by one of longest companions with whom we share so many memories and great parties! Big techno festivals, Ibiza, CocoonClub Frankfurt, the list of our common experiences is infinite. The Ovum mastermind has been one of our Cocoon Booking fix points for many years now and he presents an absolute highlight with his tune! Gloomy and yet full of positive energy "Bouyantly Grounded" pushes the speakers in a powerful manner and will turn each festival and each open air (again) into another unforgettable event.

"You Fill Me" by Shooting Star Jacob Korn follows Josh Wink and adds a bucket of nice musical emotions. We slowly move to the end of our selection and Korn delivers the perfect tune to make the final transition. The shootingstar designs an amazing creation full of gentle harmonies and profound melodies - his contribution deserves to be labeled as "Cocoon Ibiza music". Any sunrise and any afterhour will be better with "You Fill Me" - this is electronic beach life brought to your speakers. Jacob Korn defines techno in a very own style with a very high quality - a true masterpiece!

Our last track "All this for a Jump" by Atelier Francesco is in charge for the crowning conclusion: After such a big portion of perfect club sounds and pure techno there is hardly anything to add so we thank Atelier Francesco for this slightly different musical approach. Cool but kickin ' 80s retro sounds meet a very unique electronic funk feeling - the captivating vocals make the picture complete. "All this for a Jump" is not only our last track on this CD, this track would also make any big party looking good as a closing track.

Carl Craig, Sonja Moonear - Cocoon Ibiza Mix

Carl Craig, Sonja Moonear - Cocoon Ibiza Mix

Wowser, what a stunning double feature we have here in our hands today! To all our ibiza amigos and chicas: Cocoon Recordings presents an unbelievable package just in time for the peak of this years Ibiza season. Please welcome Sonja Moonear and one of the greatest house and techno producers of all time, mister Carl Craig! And what a package this is… full of love, soul and electronic dance music highlights.

Carl Craig is in charge for CD1 of our official 2016 Ibiza release. The Detroits 90s techno wunderkind and the mastermind behind some of the biggest house and techno records ever made leaves us almost speechless with his amazing selection and mix. Of course we didn’t expect anything less than this as Carl is a never ending source of inspiration for us and all house lovers around the globe. You know that feeling, somewhere between deepest admiration and jealousy looking at such a big talent with all these amazing productions and remixes he gave us… the god of techno has blessed this lovely and gifted artist and we are extremely proud to have him on our ibiza mix-CD this year! Maestro Craig selected a fine list of tracks for his mix by fellow legends like DJ Pierre (remixed by Ricardo Villalobos), Luciano (remixed by Dennis Ferrer), DJ Deep or Agoria. Carl Craig created a perfect mix with power and deepness at the same time - this is high class techno music. Especially the start of the CD with his exclusive C2 intro edit of Luca Ballerinis „Impressions Of A Dawn“ catches us right from the beginning. By including two more remixes by himself the whole selection becomes a perfectly blended collage of music that appears like an xxl Carl Craig remix. This mix will be for sure one of the all time highlights in our ibiza-cd-series and it was definitely worth the wait! CC hypnotized us with this mix, this one will stay!

Coming up next is lovely Sonja and her mix for CD2 of our package. Miss Moonear included some real house lovers delights by artists like Elbee Bad, Ralphie Rosario, Frank Roger and the new US-Berliner Brett Johnson. What looks and sounds like a deep and housey collection develops pretty soon to a freaky and technoide mix that beams us straight back to our monday nights at cocoon/amnesia. Don’t get us wrong, Sonja Moonears mix follows a cool and sexy house direction but it gets us going from start to end and she really knows when to power up the pace before bringing us back to the cool deepness again. This DJ-mix touches us with its electronic soul vibe and Sonja Moonear really handed us a true summer mix in. Everybody misses the sun and heat in the summer of 2016 so we desperately needed a heart warming music cure to take ibiza with us back home. We especially appreciate that Sonja included some of our all time favorites by John Tejada and Ricardo Villalobos (together with Argenis Brito), who receives the honor to close her mix. This is a mix full of pure sex and kicking deepness and we are really proud to have it on our label!

Gregor Tresher, Petar Dundov - Spike

Gregor Tresher, Petar Dundov - Spike

Cocoon Recordings presents a freaked out deep techno highlight by two masters of their craft: Gregor Tresher & Petar Dundov! Especially the a-side Spike is a crazy monster and we do not exaggerate by writing that we have never heard something like this by these two masterminds before. Mental, hypnotic and with a neverending synth firework that modulates with an endless release effect. The two really pushed electronic dance music at least ten steps further.

Tresher & Dundov second mutual work on Cocoon Recordings follows with Differentiator. The two stick to the basic concept of Spike however this time it is the good old arpeggio that keeps on modulating until eternity. Differentiator almost flows with a little trance appeal and there is even a cool and driving acid bassline giving us the final push. Tresher & Dundov present us two massive techno tunes that will definitely play in their own league this season!

OFF, Sven Väth - Electrica Salsa / Revisited

France, Italy, Austria, Germany – quite precisely thirty years ago, one electronic track turned the European music charts upside down: „Electrica Salsa“ by the Frankfurt project OFF – a collective producing their tracks at Master Music Studio. The founders of “Organisation For Fun” were no underdogs: Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti would go on as duo SNAP! And write global hits like “The Power” or “Rhythm Is A Dancer”, writing pop history. And the third member of OFF was then 21- year-old Sven Väth, today one the most notorious international DJs. “Michael and Luca were the masters of equipment, responsible for the mixing desk and the recording tape we used to make the master tapes. I was the one providing song ideas, grooves and bringing a good mood to the studio.”

In the summer of 1986, House Music was mainly a thing at black Clubs in Chicago. Detroit Techno (and the Berlin scene) was still in the making. “Electrica Salsa” prompted a new feel in pop culture, adopting modern techniques like the use of sound samples driven by a unique beat, creating what would be called Balearic-Fusion. It included everything from digital Underground up to the Love Parade. Frankfurt and the Rhein-Main area experienced an era of departure and pioneering spirit. “There were really great sound systems at clubs and the Dorian Gray at Frankfurt Airport was one of the best in the country. They didn’t have closing hours; people would party on until midday. They came from all over Germany. The area produced a great number of projects: Moskwa TV, Bigod 21,16 Bit, Off, Moses P, Abfahrt, Dance to Trance, Snap, PCP, Earth Nation – to name just a few.“

„Around the turn of the year 1985/86 we were quite productive getting the maximum out of our new studio. All three of us were working as DJs on a regular basis and we got together to elaborate our ideas for new stuff”, Sven Väth remembers. “The predecessor project had been named 16 Bit, it was Michael’s and Luca’s baby. OFF happened quite naturally as we were trying out some things at the studio. We had a concrete 4/4 bass drum playing and the other two were experimenting on the bass. So I went over to the microphone and tried out some word and syllable sounds. Somehow my lips formed “Electrica Salsa” and then “Ba Ba Ba”. It got everything started; ideas just flowed after that. So we added Trumpets and Timbales that I recorded live. I didn’t really know anything about percussion but I loved playing around with rhythms. So I got myself a high-end professional percussion set. The thick “boom” sound on the other hand is a sample from a Mercedes S 500 door being slammed!”

The spontaneous session produced a powerfully anarchic song mastered on a 24-track tape that got all three musicians euphoric. “I was most happy about the great success we had with ‘Electrica Salsa’ in Ibiza and Italy, where we actually made number one,” Väth recollects. “Ibiza was the greatest source of inspiration. We flew down there every year in the eighties; the Island really had a strong influence on us with its eclectic sounds at the times. The Balearic Sound was a mix of Italo Disco, Wave, Funk and African Percussion. We wanted to become part of it – and I still am today! Thirty years on that fire is still glowing and that’s the reason why we released new mixes: They are a gift to my fans that have been accompanying me for such a long time.”

The track „Electrica Salsa“ is a cornerstone of Techno history, receiving a 2016 makeover so its successor generation gets something of its own to dance on. “Roman Flügel is a friend and estimated colleague of mine and he created a really smart version of the track. I’m convinced that many people will be surprised by his remix. Henrik Schwarz on the other hand actually invited a brass combo to the studio and recorded them with strings and latin bass which makes a great modern version;” as Väth describes the 2016 studio productions.

Väth concludes: „I can only add that I am extremely happy to have been part of this project. It’s a classic, after all!”

Chymera - Episode

Chymera - Episode

Irishman Brendan Gregory aka Chymera has become an integral part of the international club scene. This techno and house productions are based on his skilful way to incorporate different styles and genres such as minimal techno and even the trance, which leads to a very own and surpreme handwriting. Like his mentor and friend Funk D'Void or like his fellow Cocoon Recordings colleague Tim Green, Chymera appears to one of the few artists who can be assigned to a very own and recognizable sound. Especially today, in times where some kids manages it to release records produced with just one laptop and rough basic knowledge a very own style is no longer a given. Chymera is one of these hard to find artists that have worked on their own style and developed an acoustic trademark... and we love his style!

"Episode" is a prime example of the above-described influences based on house, techno and trance. The great arpeggio bass-/synthline and the overall arrangement beams us back to the high days of Detroit techno. This is soulful and epic and it triggers just the right senses, it takes us on a journey.

With "7 Hours" appears like a stripped down dub version of „Episode". Based on a similar arpeggio bassline but less epic "7 hours" incorporates the two musical corners of „Rust“ and „Episode“ in a very cool way. Chymera is a fine master of his craft and this release is another proof of his musical knowledge and taste!

The bonus track "Rust" Chymera looks into the house corner and presents a nice counterpart to „Episode“. The great Chicago-FM bassline is the leading element in "Rust". The analog space synths and the relaxed but cool oldskool drum programming are perfecting Chymeras deep house excursion.

Ricardo Tobar - Collection Remixes Part Two

The first Ricardo Tobar remix edition (featuring remixes by John Tejada and Fairmont) on Cocoon Recordings we are proud to present the next chapter with remixes by Lawrence and Midnight Operator (Mathew and Nathan Jonson). 2016 seems to continue as we started it: With high quality music by great artists presenting us amazing techno in an unique and tasty style.

Midnight Operator, the joint project of the two Jonson brothers, picked Tobars "Angora" for their remix and the result appears very fresh and housey. Their bassline programming adds a nice italo-disco vibe to their version of „Angora“. Together with their strings and melody-parts the Midnight Operator remix is turning into the perfect soundtrack for the upcoming spring nights: We hear flowers, birds, butterflies and feel the warm air ... not to mention that our feet start moving and dancing.

Dial mastermind Lawrence contributes the fourth remix to Tobars album: His version of "Red Light" explores the emotional side of techno and house. We dive into deep spaces, spheric melodies and an atmosphere close to the vibe of the great works of Kraftwerk - this is impressive! Lawrence "Red Light" version presents the musical side of techno to us - a timeless piece of music with a chill-out flavoured beat and synth programming.

The exclusive three tracker starts with „The Concept“ by Waveshape - an extremely powerful club tune that demands a very good sound system to deliver its full potential. This tune delivers the definition of a fat kick drum par excellence - this track creates a strong vibe and comes with a xxl fat punch! The arrangement is based around a cool organ chord that lightens up the dark techno monster a bit however without cutting of the power and energy.

Coming up next is "Music On My Mind" by Subb-an. The Birmingham based producer Subb-an looks back onto an impressive list of releases and excellent references in his discography featuring productions for labels such as Crosstown Rebels, 20:20 Vision or One Records. In 2012 he even remixed pop icon Lana Del Ray! "Music On My Mind" is a perfect deep tech-house gem, bass loaded and with a decent thrust coming out of the speakers. We especially fancy the hypnotic touch the vocal snipplets give to the tune.

"Disappear" by Kamran Sadeghi and Julia Govor is slowing down the tempo a little bit and opens the door to the harmonic and experimental area. Clubland beauty Julia Govor left quite some impressions on the floors and behind the decks over the last years. Her vocals for „Disappear“ create a mysterious flavour. Her intimate singing and spoken lyrics work very well together with Sadeghi’s programming and result in a mesmerizing piece of electronic music for the very early morning sets.

The three tracks summarize Stefaniks journey on „Dots & Pearls 3“ in a very good way. Minimal and deep is the basic line but still with an enormous amount of energy and driving beats. Moving, dancing and listening, you all find it in here. Deep minimal underground sounds that represent the needed counterpart to the unbearable club mainstream out there. Cocoon Recordings and Daniel Stefanik will save us!

Sven Väth - Accident in Paradise/Robot (KiNK & Kölsch Remixes)

Sven Vath returns with two of his greatest classics. Just in time for the 20th anniversary of the cocoon idea the club-culture pioneer presents two milestones of his first two solo albums "Accident In Paradise" (1992) and "The Harlequin, The Robot and The Ballet Dancer" (1994). KiNK is in charge for remix #1 and we all know how much the Bulgarian fancys classic styled house and techno music which makes him the perfect person for the job. And what can we say? KiNK s remix meets all expectations! His version turns the original into an epic acid monster that appears almost like a fusion of Joey Beltrams "Energy Flash" and Rolando’s "Knights of the Jaguar“ - the 2016 version of "Accident In Paradise“ will take us on a journey through 20 years of techno and househistory.This is a big hit and it will bring madness to all the open air floors this season.

Rune Reilly Kölsch aka KÖLSCH is probably one of the most hyped names in the current techno and house circus. Hailing from Christiania / Kopenhagen Kölsch released a bunch of highly rated club tracks lately and his remix for Sven Väth's "Robot" is no exception. Runes remix is not riding the retroacid-train but turns out to be an epic club hit with an enormous festival potential, too. The Kölsch beats appear dry as a bone and sound highly energetic - they blend in perfectly with the strings- and and synth-section and create a monster full of drama and emotions.

Although both remixes are way over 9 minutes they do not seem to be one second too long. We do not need to have clairvoyant abilities to predict that Sven Väth will have a deep impact on the upcoming party- and festival-summer with this release.

Tim Green - Among Wolves

Tim Green - Among Wolves

Tim Green is back and presents his 3rd release for Cocoon Recordings. With the two predecessors in mind these three records make a really cool trilogy as all of them are ultra deep, electronic, emotional and (again) perfectly programmed! „Among Wolves“ follows the typical Tim Green formular with this highly musical way of combining surpreme beats and massive basslines with deep melodies. This is music, this is art and this story telling with sounds. „Among Wolves“ is one of Greens most dramatic productions so far and it will for sure take you on a trip while getting lost on the floor.

„Over The Water“ appears a bit more relaxed however it doesn’t leave the emotional and dramatic corner. If you are bored of all those simple and loop-based toolhouse productions you’ll definitely find something touching and interesting here. Tim Green prooves again that he is the uncrowned master of electronic music if it comes to deep and emotional productions. Something to feed your brain, your body and your soul. Something to get lost to and something to stand out for sure!

Ricardo Tobar - Collection Remixes Part One

Welcome 2016 and welcome back everybody to the second Cocoon Recordings roll out. We wonder what this year will bring if the kick-off is already on such a high level? Ricardo Tobar’s first remix 12“ comes with two stunning re-arrangements by Fairmont and Tech-House grandmaster John Tejada. The canadian minimal techno hero Fairmont remixed Tobars „Angora“ and gave it such a strong Border Community vibe. Dark but at the same time pushing and hedonistic. Fairmont starts of with a subtle percussion-beat-acid-combination and turns his remix into a proper and mad electronic masterpiece the longer it runs. Epic!

Californian tech-house pioneer John Tejada is on remix-duty for „Invierno“ and he blasts us away with the result. Deeper than deep and kick-ass house with a pushing detroit and KMS vibe. This one almost appears like a lost & found alltime techno and house classic and it will hit the Zeitgeist in Berlin, London, New York and Tokyo like no other release on Cocoon Recordings lately. This is ingenious clubfood for all the innercity hipsters and musiclovers and it simply makes us wanna dance! This! Is! Tech-House! Baby!

Ambivalent - Daylights

Ambivalent - Daylights

US born and meanwhile in Berlin residing Kevin McHugh aka Ambivalent presents his Cocoon Recordings single debut. Ambivalence seems to the be the musical direction here. „Daylights“ is a sheer technomonster, musclepacked and full of dark detroit flavour but the used vocal samples and the harmonic synthstrings can’t hide the magic touch of „Daylights“. Although the massive techno bassline is the star of this track we are sure it will find its way into the sets of many house DJs, too.

In contrast to that „Swung Out“ appears way more like pure techno and cannot be filed as house at all. We are hypnotized by the shuffled rim shots and hi-hats and Ambivalent drives this one straight through the dub universe. Techno is the destination and the dark vibe of „Swung Out“ makes it a perfect after hour weapon.

Sven Väth - The sound of the 16th Season

Sven Väth - The sound of the 16th Season

People have their personal rituals. Leaving the International Space Station Russian space travelers left some bread and salt as a welcome gift for their American colleagues. Tennis star Serena Williams bounces the ball exactly five times before her first serve. Our beloved master of ceremony of technomusic, Sven Väth, has a ritual as well: When the shadows on the island Ibiza grow longer and the noise of the summer is about to fade away, he takes a couple of days off and reminisces the passing season, the parties, the crowds and the music: What were the craziest, the most outrageous, most beautiful moments? Which situations, which encounters inspired me? What did we laugh about? And of course: what was the best music? Which tracks accompanied me and my Cocoon People during those intense weeks? Väth assembles those magical tracks for the sixteenth time this year merging them into two and a half hour set.

With "Sound of the 16th Season", Väth brings together friends from Cocoon´s environment, as well as long time companions from all over the world and young, aspiring musicians. Väth opens with DJ Koze's "XTC": Through a cloudy, blurry soundscape, a captivating melody begins to talk to us. This exceptional piece of music manages to merge contradictory feelings. Väth uses it to set an emotional anchor, to what is at stake. Matthew Dekay plays a single cello chord to wait for a short moment. Those seconds of silence turns the track into a poetical starting signal. Väth stops the grooves harshly and sets a new tone, with "Next Please" by Metaboman, a high-spirited, twisted, funny, electronic polka. With the outrageous techno soul of Kevin Saunderson and Carl Craig the legendary Detroit honchos turn play into drama. Jacob Korn takes this thread and adds melodic Detroit sounds releasing the tension with a jazzy, experimental gesture. With Leon Vynehalls reduced gospel, the set reaches a spiritual moment, which is driven on by Aaron with his wonderful, driving "Whatcha Say. The beautiful passionate voice says: "That's what you say.” Singing the line over and over again, it turns into confirmation, reminder and some kind of warning. With the pretty, quiet "Do not disturb Björn" Väth allows us to pause for a moment. Beloved for his delicate sound textures, John Tejada extends the shades of the subdued mood. Mattheis turns it into something different in a very subtle way, using penetrating strings with an anthem like quality. With Patrick Specke´s &amp; Daze Maxim´s contribution, Väth brings the set down on the groove to move into the finale of the first part: "Drifting" by Jacek Sienkiewicz puts us with beautiful, delicate sounds in a state of childlike enchantment. Ricardo Tobar implements this unique feeling using wider, soft, springy sounds, which let us float like a balloon.

Väth´s second set takes off with Tim Green's "Eclipse": a happily boasting bassline leads us through a charming house groove. Alex Smoke transformed this curiosity into cockiness using vigorous acid sounds. Heartthrob breaks the playful energy with cool electronic sounds, which escalate into a furious snare drum thunderstorm. Tim Wright emerges further into inexhaustible deep space of electronic sounds, employing a screeching electro bassline with a twinkle in his eye. Deetron picks us up with overwhelmingly positive tribal sound and a beaming, unforgettable riff. With Bastinov Väth absorbs the emotional life of this track and adds more shades with fascinating violin sounds. Robert Hood transforms Bastinovs thoughtfulness with a brilliant synthesizer figure into an electrifying soul. Väth does an utterly surprising u-turn with a song by Swedish cult band The Knife, merging Afro-American Soul into highly sensitive Indie. Geeemans very special way to modulate his voice is reminiscent of the

"Ba Ba Bah, Aha ha ha" from Väth's own, legendary "Electrica Salsa". Now we are in the frenzy of the night, it is time for Techno. Gary Beck pulls us into another world with a powerful groove and an epic hookline, Pig &amp; Dan condense this mood to give the message "Universal Love". "Warehouse Memories" brings back recollections of crazed parties in abandoned factories. Väth clears the madness with Alex Bau´s hypnotic, flowing grooves. Dimi Angelis sets a soulful final chord with a beautiful riff merging fragile violin sounds and a shrill 8-bit synth, so the set can fade away in a charmingly mellow piece of Petar Dundov.

The bread and the salt of the Russians is only a welcome gift. "The Sound of the 16th Season" unites past, present and future. Both CDs provide an opportunity to remember the best moments of the summer as the storms of autumn sweep around the houses. But it's not just about the past, but also about tomorrow: The rousing tracks make you looking forward to 2016: the dancing, the laughter, the sun, the beautiful people and the contented, generous smile our Sven!

Phil Kieran - PKRMXD

Now that's a massive piece of vinyl! The news about an upcoming remix package for tech-house-maestro Phil Kieran should be enough to raise techno lovers attention. However this time the buzz is even bigger as we managed it to get Luke Slater's cult project PLANETARY AUSSAULT SYSTEMS aboard! Yes, you heard right, the project that helped shaping the image of former techno überlabel PEACEFROG is on remix duty here and the PLANETARY AUSSALT SYSTEM does what we expected... and even more! The "Wasps Under A Toy Boat" remix is a mental technomonster with only one message in his head: "Let's go crazy on the floor!". Cocoon head Sven Väth had the pleasure to test the remix a couple of times and smashed the floors to pieces everytime he dropped that gem - one of 2015's biggest techno highlights so far!

The flipside features a Tom Demac remix for "Missp" which breathes cool 80s air with its bassline and almost industrial beat programming. We hear early Detroit club hymns here or the sound of Berlin in the 90s as Demac merges rough beats and stop and go effects with the new-wave-feeling of bands like the Liaison Dangereuse or Propaganda. The result is funky and musical but at the same time electronic and entertaining with enough power get us on the dancefloor.

The vinyl-edition as well as the 4-track-digital edition of this release appears timeless and incorporates contemporary elements as well as cool 80s and 90s vibes. This is a package that will make the hearts of those in the know race faster. Two outstanding remixes taking the originals (released on COR12045 & COR12049) to the next level!

Daniel Stefanik - I wonder

Daniel Stefanik - I wonder

Daniel Stefanik is back on the track and it seems even stronger than ever before! After his cocoon album release „confidence" and the associated remixes (by Mr. G, Adam Port, Legowelt and Matthias Kaden) Stefanik presents a true tech-house-monster as a dignified return to the label.

With „Twilight Zone“ Stefanik moves away from his Detroit influenced background but stays true to his oldskool flavoured vibe. It is less dub and rooms here but more acid power that makes us move. Wild 909 beats and an overall atmosphere that is dry as a bone let this one communicate pure musical madness. This one rocks floors like thunderstorms. Label head and cocoon master Sven Väth proved this in his gigs over the last weeks and months as „Twilight Zone“ was one of his sets climax moments every time he dropped it.

„I Wonder“ on the other side breathes the air of Octave Oneʼs „Blackwater“ merged with cool and dubby Basic Channel influences. Stefanik is back in his very own style based on his musical heroes and forms a big techn-house piece out of all the ingredients and influences. This one was made to be played in clubs, soon, at the next gig and loud...and often!

Luca Ballerini - Impressions of a dawn

We say this with endless positive feelings: Luca Ballerini is one of our „kids“ that brought pure joy and pride to the Cocoon Recordings family! His 2015 single for Cocoon Recordings and his style of producing music in general simply seems fresh to us and makes us smile - this is pure electronic art turned into music!

Ballerini wants to pay respect to his role models Sven Väth, Carl Craig and the masters of modern electronic techno art: Basic Channel. He also follows the music of artists like Levon Vincent or Omar S and is brave enough to say all this out loud. These influences and styles are noticable in his new release for Cocoon Recordings: „Impressions Of A Dawn“ comes with a slight mid 90s vibe - the emotional era of Sven Väths music productions. The Detroit techno sound of artists like Carl Craig and the Berlin underground sound of Moritz Von Oswald & Mark Ernestus shines through here, too.

However, Ballerini is not copying at all - he merges all these influences and creates his very own style, his own music. He composes and creates emotions just like the music he loves. He is not just focusing and one idea or on a simple bassline-beat-combination. With his music Luca Ballerini is a modern story teller and that’s probably the talent that touches us so much. „Orizzonte“ sticks to that basic concept, too and follows the vibe of big Guy Gerber or Tim Green productions - which takes Ballerini in good company. This is great cinemascope like techno music for all the epic and emotional moments on the dancefloor - grazie mille Luca!

Sascha Dive - Werewolf in the woods

Sascha Dive - Werewolf in the woods

The summer heat is still on our minds and we all do miss the sunny days, the beaches and the endless open air parties... thanks Sascha Dive for the right soundtrack and this summer flashback: Dives new release for cocoon beams us back to the high days of the summer of 2015: Especially „Into The Woods“ seems to be the perfect sound for all these deeply missed summervibes. „Into The Woods“ is a pristine tech-house production that comes with a cool straight forward beat programming, very nice reverse strings-sounds and hypnotic house chords. A nicely flavoured chicago-club-house- feeling and exactly how we like it!

„Werewolf“ appears slightly more spaced out, however we are still deep in the house universe here. Dive is pushing it a bit harder now - he uses crazy chord sounds and turns the track into an 11-minute- tech-house-journey. After the summer flashback with „Into The Woods“ this one beams us definitely more into the darker and hotter inner city clubs. A massive tech-house-striker by the diver and we are proud to say it is one of his strongest works so far!

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation O

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation O

It is almost hard to believe and we are looking for that wormwhole that brought us here as we are already looking at the arrival of compilation number "O". And we rather do not start thinking about the endless wordplays we could do with the "Story Of O", however we have to admit that this special "O-Edition" comes with an extra portion of deepness, soul and yes, even sex! Let's proove this right from the start with Roland M. Dill and "The Messenger". Dill presents an epic and cineastic masterpiece full of emotions and a perfect introduction for our O selection. This is the spirit that we mean when we think about hot party nights in Ibiza, that magic touch that we feel when we start the nights and looking for the first beats. Russian based producer Tripmastaz offer us these first beats of the night with their minimal house track „Grindinʼ “. The cool bassline and the groovin tool-like beat programming represents the new school of deep minimal house producers who offer much more these days then a simple ableton loop and a filter. Deepness and a certain feeling for house and techno is the trade mark and the two following artists follow that in perfection. Dana Ruh ("If You Dont Know A Name“) and youANDme („Jungle Book“) present two cool tech-house productions with rolling basslines and fat house chords merged with a versatile and driving drum programming. Defintely two of the best tunes out of this genre in 2015 so far. This is the sound on our way to and into the club, when we are about to enter the first Cocoon night of the year.

We step into the arena, we feel the heat and the party begins... so let's play the tracks by the next two O-artists: Traumer and Tom Demac. The two speed up the O-engine and open the techno chambers of our selection. Minimal heaven, crazy and electronic, this is the peaktime sound of our night! The night is getting chaotic and so are we, ready to be surprised by the DJs and waiting for some cool and brave moves. Naples based producer DAST is the right man for this moment and brings us his oldskool flavoured „Paranormal Effect“. He increases the beat count again with this rave hymn that almost warps us back to the high days of R&S and Go-Bang - pure summer rave atmosphere!
Next in line is Mister Steve Parker with a minimal techno monster for all you Rob Hood fans out there. The perfect sound for a techno-floor full of smoke and shamen like dancers. The night is turning into madness and we are about to forget where we are. Lee Van Dowski and his "www" follows the techno path of the previous two tracks with his mental synth and fat bass programming. This is DJ food for the techno floors out there and we just want to dance to this!

What a selection so far... what an energy. So it's time to leave the peaktime section behind and slowly swing out to a cool and deep ending. Karim Sahraoui joins us for this with his track „The Comforter“ slowing down the tempo and adding more melodies and feeling to our selection. However with a nice acid bassline and a decent beat, too which keeps our bodies moving. So let's check "She“ by Reset Robot with more emotions and almost as epic as our opening number by Roland M. Dill... however not our final pick here as we still have one more to deliver: "Hanami (Armonia Rosa)" by Luca Ballerini is an extra surpreme highlight and a perfect ending for our latest compilation. The right tune to guide us into the sunrise and to the beach-afterhour - the last goodie in a basket full of almost all things house and techno. Pushing beats, emotions, acid and techno, and even epic moments and oldskool flashbacks - you all find it in here. What a night, what a party, this is techno for the summer of 2015!

Dana Ruh, tINI - Cocoon Ibiza

Dana Ruh, tINI - Cocoon Ibiza

Ibiza is known for that very special and unique vibe. This atmosphere full of deep emotions mixed with wild energy, salty air and hot summer nights. This is what we want to give to you and what we tried to present right from the start of our great ibiza adventure more than 15 years ago! All led by the big mastermind mister Sven Väth who started back then on the white island with his vision and made it come true more and more year by year. Looking back at 15 editions of his mix-cd-series „The Sound Of The (…) Season“ we have to state that these mixes are acoustic documents for contemporary witnesses, the recored soundtracks of our lifes on the island for all these great and unforgettable summer seasons!

However Sven also called the right artists and friends to his side to help him with that project. People who understood what he had and still has in mind and what kind of creative input is needed for all this. Artists who identify themselves with the concept of love and music… love for the music and of course music full of love… all combined and merged with a large portion of hedonism and artistic energy to create the perfect setting to celebrate all those countless memorable sunrises.

For this season we asked again two artists of our line-up to do us a favor and create a mix that should reflect this special ibiza feeling. A mix that puts us in the right mood for what will come over the next couple of months. This year we are proud to present two mixes by Dana Ruh and tINI who hit the nail on the head with their selections! Their mixes turned out to be super deep and almost soulful and feature artists like Persuader, Nina Soul, Third Wave Trax and Aruba (tINI-Mix) or Osunlade, DJ Pierre, Agnes and Move D (Dana Ruh Mix)… just to name a few. Two amazing mixes that create this special emotional and unique atmosphere we want to spread with cocoon ibiza. This is the sound for our sundowns (and sunrises), for all those hot evenings and the perfect soundtrack for the beach on the day after. Two musical postcards you can only send from Ibiza. Turn the music on, forget the grey sky of the big cities around the world and beam yourself into the vibe of the magic island… ice cold San Miguel and the view of the ocean, Ibiza, we can’t wait to arrive!

Tim Green - Eclipse

Tim Green - Eclipse

Tim Green turned out to be one of our main players here at Cocoon Recordings as he is looking at his fifth release with this one already. Well done chap! This means that Green is one of the artists that reflects the sound of the label like only a few others out there: Minimal Techno with the right amount of energy but not too cold and spiced up with fat basslines and manic synths to burn down every floor - that is Mr. Green in full effect!

London based Tim Green seems to be the master of that typical sound we are focusing at. His top notch musical output is full of energy and features colorful melodies and sounds. He composes like a painter paints, layer by layer and all based on a solid but perfect foundation. Green creates his tunes with big musical potential but manages it to keep the balance right without being too melodic or even over intelectual. His acoustic paintings are always impressive - they appear heavy and perfectly designed. They communicate straight and clear. Green is the fighter against simple and boring loop arrangements with dodgy one note basslines. His music is fine food for dancers and listeners at the same time - both in perfection.

Greens new release for Cocoon is no exception to this and follows that working formular: „Eclipse“ and „Thieves“ are big productions with massive melody-parts wrapped in a minimal cover. His beats and bass-programing are on spot and make his composition complete. This ep appears again super heavy and colorful and just perfect. This is the right sound for all those upcoming 2015 open air festivals, hedonistic music in a sentimental mood that just makes us wanna dance - bring it on Mr. Green!

Ilario Alicante - Thera EP

Ilario Alicante - Thera EP

Ilario Alicante is back and delivers another Alicante-Blueprint full of minimal techno beats ready to rock and hypnotize us. 4 tracks that represent the typical handwriting of the Italian who moved to Berlin a couple of years ago. Hard techno however sexy and funky and close to perfection.

„Thera“ is a massive techno monster with a mental synth line and fx loaded spoken word vocals. Steve Rachmad joins Alicante for remix action here and adds a cool and bassy organ line together with freaked out feedback-delays. Rachmads remix appears a bit deeper compared to the solid techno original however it is a hard techno monster, too with a cool detroit touch.

Speaking of Detoit: Alicantes „Argo“ proves the „Berlitalian“ can go deeper, too. Warm analogue synths and funky jazzy drum programing and all dubbed into the arrangement in a very nice old school way. „Argo“ appears unpredictable and elegant at the same time and is a pure techno lovers highlight – one for all you xxl Detroit-fans!

„Encouter“ gets us back to the more energetic and minimal technofield again and follows the path and vibe of „Thera“. Stomping, merciless and muscle packed with driving 909 techno rides and a crazy synth line firing out of the speakers!
Alicante hands in a great techno 4-tracker with some extra Detroit flavour. Pushing and forcing but deep as hell at the same time this one is fresh peaktime food for the techno floors around the globe!

Sven Väth - Ritual Of Life (Adam Port 108 Mix)

Sven Väth - Ritual Of Life (Adam Port 108 Mix)

After touring the world like no other techno artist on this planet and focusing on his ibiza-parties and mix-cd-projects our most wanted techno shamen Sven Väth returns with a new 12" finally! Well, it's not really a new solo production to be honest as it is a remix-treat Sven received from Adam Port who fell in love with the 1993 classic "Ritual Of Life".

The "Keine Musik" co-founder Adam Port was more than right to get deeper into this classic gem. The man who is moving in hyper-speed since his 2013 überhit "Our Fate" delivered a new approach that is close to perfection. Port took the original elements and turned them into a 2015 tech-house-bombshell that will definitely one of the anthems of the upcoming summer season.

Hailing from Berlin Adam Port lives and produces straight-edge which seems to be an ideal match here in terms of re-creating the original vibe. He used similar tribal flavored beats like he did in his club monster "The American Dream" and merges them with the cool original asian-dub-atmosfear that refers perfectly to the sound and lifestyle of Sven Väth.

This is not just a remix - it is an ovation to a great techno shamen. Port uses hypnotic beats mixed with mystic sounds and creates a very special spiritual vibe - a genuine musical journey that delivers one clear message: Dance until the morning sun! Although over 10 minutes long this remix is not a single second too long. If you ask us it could be even longe. Music like this could run all night long, especially if Sven Väth is behind the decks.

This one makes us creep! Make sure to grab one of the few copies of this strictly limited release which comes as a single-sided green vinyl edition!

Ricardo Tobar - Collection

Ricardo Tobar - Collection

Electronic music approximately 35 years after bands like Kraftwerk opened the magic box. A lot happened since then and it seems all is said, done and invented. However it is almost surprising that new things still pop up here and there when it comes to electronic music production. The reason for this can probably be found in the almost unlimited possibilities that electronics and computers offer to the artists and of course in the unwritten law that there are no boundaries that can't be crossed. So, even after all this time, it is great to see that the creative development keeps on going and going no matter if it is house, deep house, techno and most of it all: Listening electronics. "Synthetic electronic sounds, Industrial rhythms all around".

Let's focus on Ricardo Tobar: Born in Chile and now residing in France, Tobar picked the "creative border crossing" as the common thread for his album "Collection". Musical experimentation and crossing musical borders - Tobar refers here directly to the style and sound of the great new-wave- bands of the 80s and 90s. With the help and influence of their new electronic instruments (that often met classic rock guitars) the post-punk-electronic-movement turned almost everything upside down. No matter if the result was moody and mysterious or romantic and hedonistic, all sounded new and different back then and paved the musical path for a whole generation - the reverberations of that episode are noticeable until today.

Tobar plays with the musical approach of the post-punk-era, he mixes, merges and experiments fearless with styles and moods. He creates a wide range of "own styles" and even dives into abstract sound fields - listening electronic in best form! Ricardo Tobar breathes the air of his own musical universe and is not refering to the typical styles of this genre - you won't find any Detroit, Berlin or Sheffield reference here. Although produced in France, Tobar's album doesn't have anything of the sweet and lovely french listening touch. It also won't beam you into the north of England and the grey and cold Sheffield winter like so many other electronic albums try to do.

"Collection" contains full compositions, sound collages, experimental sounds and even proper beat based tunes. Tobar rather creates than produces and is presenting a bigger picture with his collection. Many electronic music artists are trying to do this however Tobar delivers a collection with an impressive range and it seems he did all this in an almost nonchalant way. He plays and combines his instruments and sounds at the same time very sensitive and harmonic but also brave and dissonant without risking to be inaudible at any point. He creates atmospheres by using electronic sounds and layers. Listening to the sound of "collection" almost appears like reading an acoustic book. This album is full of interesting sounds and ideas and is far from being boring or even too demanding.

Besides the mystic and experimental side "Collection" also contains energetic and trippy sounds. The expressive "Angora" is full of energy and captures the listeners imagination. In contrast to that "Crystal Sun" appears almost like a big after-hour anthem. With "There Is Pop" Tobar presents even a strong and ripped tune - banging and challenging. You see, there is place for everything here in "Collection". There is an introduction, the main part and an ending - as mentioned before: An album like a book, like an exciting book on top of that! "Collection" comes with musical chapters rich in variety and with quite some surprises.

Looking back at 35 years of electronic music it isn't easy to claim that we never heard something like "Collection" before, however we hardly can think of anybody else who compiled an album with such an amount of taste and entertainment like Ricardo Tobar did it here. This is for sure not just another musical assembly-line-product and we salute Tobar for the result that cannot be categorized the easy way. Tobar worked hard for this album and this is noticeable from start to end. He used his machines, synths and computers in full effect and presents a "Collection" that exactly functions like it is. Not a single tune on this album can be left out. This album is Ricardo Tobars musical portrayal and with holding so much energy, it will shine on for a very long time.

Various Artists - Zehn

Various Artists - Zehn

Cocoon Recordings presents a new mix-compilation and it is number 49!!! More than that it is the 10th edition of the label-inhouse-compilation-series mixed by Chris Tietjen and last but not least it will be the final chapter of this ten years lasting journey. So we end the story as we believe it is at its climax and with some proud we can say that number ten („ZEHN RETROSPECTIVE“) is one of the best cocoon-inhouse-compilations ever - and one of the best mixes of our man Chris Tietjen, too!.

However it wouldn’t be a real end if there is no special content here: „ZEHN RETROSPECTIVE“ is not only the 10th edition and the final one, it is also the only one that looks back at almost ten years of its existence. In other words: Tietjen picked his favorite cocoon recordings tracks and remixes from the last ten years and mixed them together on one CD. Even more, he managed to do this close to perfection as one does not notice that 36 tracks from a whole decade merge into one big mix here. Tietjen proves that he developed into a vital and profound DJ throughout these years and that this final edition is the dignified product to end this era!

The former Cocoon Recordings intern and Sven Väth protegé did everything right in „ZEHN" and has choosen a great selection out of more than 150 releases! The labels repertoire consists of a variety of styles like techno, house, minimal, dub and even chill-out and experimental tracks. The full list of artist names appears like the inofficial „who is who“ of the international techno circuit. Tietjen’s final selection features names like Minilogue, Kollektiv Turmstraße, Moritz Von Oswald, Nina Kraviz, Loco Dice, Argy, Guy Gerber, Johannes Heil, Adam Beyer, Marco Carola or Maetrik - just to name a few. If you count in all remixers and collab-producers this final edition features more than 40 artists on just one CD!

Despite the many different names with all their very own styles the final mix turned out very well. The transitions and the arrangement appears very harmonic and homogenic. It is of course not a new „Closer To The Edit“ approach like Richie Hawtin once introduced it however Tietjen’s mix is quite close to this idea as he manages it to merge down 36 tracks in just one 80 minute mix. We are not highlighting certain artists or their tracks/remixes on this CD as it won’t reflect the actual vibe of this mix. And we better do not even start explaing each and every track here and what it means for us or why Chris picked it - this would need way more space than we have in this info. However we have to say that most of these tracks are the soundtrack of our life, of our past ten years. This is more than just a CD for us, it is a haptic souvenir from our musical journey and it is a damn good mix on top! Number ten has it all - a unique way of saying good-bye, isn’t it?

Guido Schneider, André Galluzzi - Mario

Guido Schneider, André Galluzzi - Mario

Galluzzi and Schneider: Two masters of their craft and two specialists for merging minimal techno with dark house vibes. This particular sound that is high on demand when the club crowd get lost in the middle of night. Lost in music. Lost in the hot air that makes their bodies sweat. Lost in these disco lights that makes us all dazed & confused. This very special sound, based on hypnotic and minimal beats with every bass sound hitting your body and soul. This is the world of Schneider and Galluzzi, this is exactly the moment when these two artists take control and wonʼt let you go anymore.

Their new collaboration „Mario“ breathes exactly that vibe. The original version of „Mario“ literally takes you on a journey. Come with Andre & Guido and follow those jazzy bass sounds with an almost oriental flavor and meet all the shimmering effects and crazy noises. Dance to this super hypnotic beat and hear the percussion parts that will drive you further and further into the night. This is the sound of our time and the soundtrack of our lives that happens on the dark and crazy floors all over the world. Turn the lights off and set the volume to max - here comes „Mario“!
Thomas Melchior & Fumiya Tanaka are on remix duties and the two follow the vibe of the original with all their skills. They are not trying to re-arrange and re-define the original at all which is exactly what is needed here. The result is an even deeper and even more hard-edged dub that lies somewhere between ingenuity and insanity. The dub relfects that special vibe of dark and foggy dance floors with all those happy dancers that just want to dance... until sunrise... and even longer. Kill the bassdrum and bring it back in... sometimes itʼs so easy to make us technoheads happy.

Len Faki - Everything

Len Faki - Everything

We welcome back Len Faki and present an unbelievable hot remix for young Swedish techno activist Fauntleroy and his track „Everything“ which was originally released on Fauntleroyʼs own label „Anemone“. Faki gives the original track a massive Berlin flavoured techno polish. He emphasizes the arid but loud bassline and the manic synthline even more and delivers a sheer techno monster ready to burn the electronic dancefloors around the globe.

A strong kick drum, distorted hi-hats and hedonistic sound-effects are the ingredients here and function perfectly around the long and merciless breaks. We especially fancy the almost oriental styled synth-line in „Everything“ - this remix will be part of every good techno-sets in the next months! And we wouldnʼt be surprised if Fauntleroy will feel a little extra hype thanx to Fakiʼs surpreme remix. Join us on Fakiʼs and Fauntleroyʼs „Everything“ and... LET THE BASS KICK!

Alex Bau - On Synth

Alex Bau - On Synth

Alex Bau proves that dark and energetic techno is not strictly connected to cities like Detroit and Berlin or the electronic north of England but can also be found in lovely Bavaria. We are not joking: Alex Bau turns the international map of techno-music upside down by presenting these two powerful tracks. We even think that names like Dettmann, Ben Klock and even grandmasters like Underground Resistance and Surgeon couldnʼt have done much better here.

So letʼs start with „On Synth“, a heavy beats loaded distortion masterpiece, using a pumping compressor and a manic synth loop. There is no escape from this one for everybody who is into banging techno! „On Breeze“ takes down the speed, however only a little bit as there is still plenty of energy in this one to feed the floors. The beat reminds us of some Reboot-productions without being a copy cat here at all. The used filter-moves are close to perfection and almost gives „On Breeze“ a housy deepness.

A great release with some extra dirt in the beat- and bass-programming. And all this is coming from Bavaria... we will find out if there is more darkness to be found under the beautiful surface of the south.

Johannes Heil, Markus Suckut - Souls

Johannes Heil, Markus Suckut - Souls

Tracklist:
Intuition
Souls
Johannes Heil and Markus Suckut team up for the new Cocoon Release and what they came up with is simply amazing! A techno monster! The two high profile producers seem to merge various techno influences out of the last 15 years here but they manage it to do this with their very own hand writing. The opening track "Intuition" appears like Robert Hood and Speedy J helped out triggering the right sounds in the studio. However, you shouldn't expect a copycat or a remake here at all - "Intuition" is not just another wannabe dirty retro thing. The sound is fresh, the synths are clear and warm and the 909 beat programming doesn't need any distortion to make you go crazy. Track number two "Souls" follows that basic vibe. There is the fresh 909 again jumping around that forces us to move our bodies on the dancefloor. However it is not Detroit that shines through here this time. "Souls" seem to be the perfect choice for fans of Slams "Positive Education". There is some Mosaic and even Drumcode in here. And again... it's the flavour that makes the taste, no copycat and no retro attack. Heil and Suckut just give us something back that was missed for so long. Good, solid techno with a soulful touch and cool sounds - with an improved quality and programming. Track number three "Hectic" makes this picture complete. Heil & Suckut stay true to the basic vibe of this release and "Hectic" should make all fans of Richie Hawtin, Plastikman and Plus8 happy. We don't know what you will think about this release but for us here at Cocoon this release is one of THE techno-records of the year! Thanx guys... please give us more of this, it was about time!

Johannes Heil and Markus Suckut team up for the new Cocoon Release and what they came up with is simply amazing! A techno monster!
The two high profile producers seem to merge various techno influences out of the last 15 years here but they manage it to do this with their very own hand writing.

The opening track "Intuition" appears like Robert Hood and Speedy J helped out triggering the right sounds in the studio. However, you shouldn't expect a copycat or a remake here at all - "Intuition" is not just another wannabe dirty retro thing. The sound is fresh, the synths are clear and warm and the 909 beat programming doesn't need any distortion to make you go crazy.

Track number two "Souls" follows that basic vibe. There is the fresh 909 again jumping around that forces us to move our bodies on the dancefloor. However it is not Detroit that shines through here this time. "Souls" seem to be the perfect choice for fans of Slams "Positive Education". There is some Mosaic and even Drumcode in here. And again... it's the flavour that makes the taste, no copycat and no retro attack. Heil and Suckut just give us something back that was missed for so long. Good, solid techno with a soulful touch and cool sounds - with an improved quality and programming.

Track number three "Hectic" makes this picture complete. Heil & Suckut stay true to the basic vibe of this release and "Hectic" should make all fans of Richie Hawtin, Plastikman and Plus8 happy. We don't know what you will think about this release but for us here at Cocoon this release is one of THE techno-records of the year! Thanx guys... please give us more of this, it was about time!

Sven Väth - The Sound Of The 15th Season

Sven Väth - The Sound Of The 15th Season

Fifteen years on Ibiza, fifty years alive: in 2014 Sven Väth celebrates two major birthdays. With more than 10.000 of his fans he will celebrate his own birthday on October the 25th in Mannheim ́s Maimarkthalle. Luciano, DJ Koze and Richie Hawtin will be among the well-wishers behind the turntables. The birthday bash will as well be the kick off for Väth ́s world tour, which will take him through three continents. Sven Väth ́s fans: Some of them are dancing for more than thirty years to his music. Within Frankfurt ́s club scene, they followed him from Dorian Gray, the Omen, U60311, to the CocoonClub to Ibiza. Until now, they rely on Väth's tireless curiosity to reinvent electronic dance music again and again. With his longtime companions Väth not only went through the night, but through life. Then there are the kids from Ibiza who might have experienced Väth for the first time in one of the wonderful nights of the passed summer at Amnesia or at one of the afterhours. Väth enchants them with an abundance of electronic sounds, styles and moods, they are introduced to the cosmos of sophisticated electronic music. They could be his children. With this experience Väth is lead to a new, more relaxed perspective, a sense of what is really important. In an extensive interview for Resident Advisor Väth told the international audience about his multifaceted history as musician and entrepreneur. In a notable podcast for the same page he offers us an insight in his musical interests beyond electronic dance music for the first time in years.

With “Sound of the 15th Season”, Väth has left behind the two-part night & day concept of some of the earlier seasons. For the first time, he mixes a continuous, nearly three-hour set. Väth starts off a with delicate house tune from Stimming and the charming, flirtatiously naive voice of Piper Davis. The lovely piano tones captivate the attention while psychedelic moments arouse curiosity. Väth finishes the short opening sequence with another exceptional track: within Alex & Digbys “Kudlak” children pray to a number of saints, and their sincerity and seriousness appeals to us deep in our inside. Väth gives us a moment to feel where we stand in this point in time. Then the party begins. The next chapter is devoted to a classic, wonderfully level-headed New York house sound creating a peaceful haven in Ibiza ́s restlessness. Leon Vynehall draws us with gentle chords to the dance floor, D'Lonely Al adds a euphoric note. Roman Flügel & Simian Mobile Disco set the sounds like dots of color on a canvas. They suspend this impressionistic, playful approach with a strong, emotional bass line. Sebastian Mullaert melds these scattered energies in a wonderful, cardinal number with Karim Sahraoui adding multifaceted emotions. With his nervous funk Elbee Bad adds physicality and sex appeal. With the fascinating "Rezo" by Marcel Philipp, the set reaches a first climax. Being full of hope and promise the hookline is directed into the future, yet it does not loose contact to the here and now. The Lauer brothers combine the playful approach of the first tracks with a powerful, driving groove. With David August's epic "Epicurus" the acoustic space gains depth and richness. Until now the set was a family affair, now you immerse yourself in the crowd and get carried away.

With DJ Kozeʼs Remix of Moderats "Bad Kingdom", Väth revives the combination of pop and psychedelica and moves into the third chapter. Koze dissolves the anthemic pop song in poetic, trippy sounds. Fun and easy turn into rapid and uninhibited. Reboot ́s bassline spin the dancers around. With his bright, crystal-clear sounds Benjamin Damage nets this turmoil. Dast manages to square the circle: he sounds physical and empathetic like a Strictly-Rhythm-track, yet his explosive energy rather reminds of thriving techno. With Sable Sheep the beats get complicated and dense. Väth synthesizes the heterogeneous energies on the dance floor. Wonderfully straight, the bassline of Gary Beck moves into the track, you feel its razor-sharp, driving force in your fingertips and your tows. Väth reaches the finale: "Sand Storm" by Pig & Dan has the dimensions of a natural event. Gusts of sand grains form a massive sound wave that is sublime and a little scary at the same time. Now everything is possible: Jurek Przezdziecki & Jacek Sienkiewicz turn to a jazzy tonality. Daniel Stefanik counters with a pitch- black sentiment, its elegance being broken by a bizarre creaking and whistling. With this unconditionally demanding machine music we have reached the climax. Transforming this extreme tension in a thrilling acid track, Techno innovator Luke Slater creates clarity and defines a target. MMM pull around the helm, with a fanfare they spread a funny, winking euphoria. Slam grant us a breather with a timeless party track. Sawlin & Subjected break into the scene with futuristic, intricate industrial sounds. At the finale it is Kölsch ́s turn: the Dane reconciles madness and beauty with an oblique, funny squeak with an amazing vocal a la James Blake.

Väth is able to excel his intuition for electronic sounds just another time. He puts on a record and knows immediately what is going on in the trackʼs heart. In 2014 Väth gets rid of some ballast that has been piling up in club music ́s language. As in Far Eastern physical and spiritual practices, Yoga and Zen, it is often just a matter of holding the energy. Listening to himself, Väth is confronted with a stream of energy inspiring him and drawing us in. He always had the enthusiasm of a child. Now he is a wise man as well.

wAFF - Freeks

wAFF - Freeks

Cocoon Recordings is back again with something fresh 'n hot by uprising player wAFF! A release that needs no warm-up, no introduction...go ahead and judge this one by the sound and the energy of "Freeks" and "Groover" and you will realise these gems will make your body move immediately! This is house, this is techno, there is bass, cool sounds and a beat that simply gives you all a beat can give.

wAFFs Cocoon Recordings 12“ single debut seems to be a timeless piece of tech- house: Style, beats, bassline and the used samples are hard to categorize and merge oldskool flavour with modern clubmusic elements in a nice & gentle way. This release is not just another tool but also not a desperate attempt to produce the next super hit - it is in between these two corners and this makes it so good. Come on freeks, make your body move!

Sven Väth - L’esperanza

Sven Väth - L’esperanza

Sven is back at the track, in high form and in full effect! The master of all things techno and the international techno-shamen number one presents a pristine remix package just in time to celebrate his 50th birthday!

When you look at the dancefloor at one of Sven's gigs these days you'd probably realize that a vast majority of his crowd wasn't even born when the originals of "L'Esperanza" and "Beauty & The Beast" were releleased. This man layed down some of the biggest stones to the foundation of techno and tech-house and he has choosen the right names to spice up these classic hits!

"L'Esperanza" received remix-treatment by Berlin based duo Âme of Innervision. Sven supported these folks right from the start and helped to spread the power of their megahit "Rej" even with some mad stagediving performances. And the two did a proper job by transforming the original chill-out tune into a vital up-to-date tech-house gem. Âme merge trance, house and minimal-techno elements with the right parts of the original in a fine and elegant way. The result makes almost three generations of ravers feel home again while getting mad on the dancefloor. Thanx guys!

Gerd Janson and Philipp Lauer aka the Tuff City Kids chip in their rework of Sven Väths "Beauty & The Beast". The two are not even trying to create an up-to-date flavour here at all - which is just perfect! The Tuff City Kids remix focus' in a cool and impressive way on a strong and classic techno foundation. Banging 909 beats, dark bass and synth sounds and the classic epic break in the middle... Janson's and Lauer's remix seems be a lost R&S single from back in the days or even some lost and found Detroit techno-hit! We see names and labels like Octave One, 430 West and Transmat when their remix starts to kick in and we just love it. PLAY IT LOUD EVERYBODY!

Luca Ballerini - L’eternità di un attimo

Luca Ballerini - L’eternità di un attimo

Verona based producer and DJ Luca Ballerini is our latest discovery and a perfect proof that Cocoon Recordings is still looking for new kids on the block and gives them the chance to step into the arena. Although we have to admit that Luca Ballerini is not a complete rookie anymore. After his debut on Siena Recordings in 2010, Ballerini founded his own plattforms and released several productions on Musical Metaphor and Wax Jam. 2014 saw his debut on Shlomi Abers "Be As One" label which says quite something about Ballerinis sound and style. The dreamy and harmonic techno productions of Shlomi Arber or Guy Gerber seem to be the blueprint for Ballerinis style however the Italian producer is not copying here at all. The israeli influence is noticable but Luca Ballerini creates his very own style by adding straight and solid techno- and house-beats. This special mixture covers a wide musical range from relaxed after-hour-techno to emotional peak-time clubsound. The perfect soundtrack to make it back to the clubs, leaving the cold and rainy open airs behind and heat up again for the all upcoming hot party nights!

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation N

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation N

Time is running...and it seems like we just woke up out of our interstellar sleep-mode as we are facing the arrival of the 14th edition of the almighty COCOON RECORDINGS COMPILATION. Starting with the letter "A" we reached "N" meanwhile which probably marks one of the longest running techno-compilation-series ever around. The list of the featured artists is amazing and almost endless. Big names like Funk D'Void, Alter Ego, Michael Mayer, Steve Bug, DJ Rush, Adam Port, Christian Smith, Nina Kravitz, Henrik Schwarz or Argy can be found here. Not to forget some of the biggest players in the circus like Sven Väth, Anthony Rother, Extrawelt, Timo Mass, Radio Slave or Ricardo Villalobos, DJ Koze, Dubfire and even Berlin's Basic Channel mastermind Moritz Von Oswald!

With the new "Compilation N" we will add even more big names side by side to some fresh and promising ones. Let's start with Konstantin Sibold & Leif Müller who gave us "Kolibri", a great slowed down techno-tune that brings us back to the high days of Alter Ego when Harthouse released big listening and electronica albums. Track number two by Julian Perez follows that feeling and explores the deep and dubby sides of techno, too. A perfect transition to Frankfurt homeboy Markus Fix. It's dub again however spiced up with hypnotic strings and a clubby kickdrum shaking our bass bins!

With track number four, "Compilation N" opens the door to proper and kicking club music. Grandmaster Aril Brikha and Vince Watson present a vibrant arpeggio-tune followed by Alan Fitzpatrick with his "For Fear Tonight Is All". Fitzpatrick adds more of a cineastic soundtrack flavour to the picture and creates big emotions here before Cavaan releases a thrilling Acid-monster ("Wildness"). Coming up next is Truncate with track number seven that seems to be a little homage to the big days of the raw and kicking TR-909 and the pure Underground Resistance techno from Detroit. Sam Paganini is following this vibe with "Labyrinth" however even darker with more energy and pressure. These are the tunes that make big and foggy techno floors go crazy in the middle of the night. Track number nine "Luminous" by Lucy twist the knobs even further and beams us completely out of this world - if the tunes before didn't manage to do so ;)

"Les Gobelins" by Villanova doesn't need that pumping energy at all however it is quite a dark monster as well. Mind blowing vocals, wild drum programming and echo-craziness define the techno state-of-mind of the year 2014. The last two tracks come from Swiss tech-house-pionier Ripperton and Ricardo Tobar. We hear modulating bassline, synthesizer-sirens and minimal drum programming that all in all create a vibe somewhere between techno, house and the late works of Aphex Twin.

Number 14 presents 12 tracks with an impressive variety of all things techno these days. This is definetly no hands-up-in-the-air action at all. It is techno-music in a deeper way with a lot to explore and something that will exists longer than just one summer. This is something we want more from... we can't wait to hear what "Compilation O" will sound like ;)

Daniel Stefanik - Signs

Daniel Stefanik - Signs

Stefanik is a phenomenon! On the one side he is that crazy-cool party animal with amazing DJ-skills. His DJ-sets feature a wide variation of techno-, house- and minimal tunes all mixed up in a fresh and easy way that almost no one can escape from. On the other side he is this über-talented producer who sometimes doesn't sound like his DJ-sets at all. On his recent album for Cocoon Recordings Stefanik painted musical pictures of different moods and for different moments.

A soundtrack for people living in the modern club world of cities like Berlin or London. Days of joy and sun vs. grey and cold mornings or foggy and dusty club nights, there was something for everybody and every moment. However with his new release on Cocoon Recordings Stefanik proofs how versatile he is as a producers by creating a vibe that refers more to his DJ-sets. Stefanik melts down different club music ingredients to one unique mix here. We hear influences from Detroit, Chicago and Berlin mixed up in identical quantities. Deeper house meet masculine basslines ("Signs") and pitched-up Inner-City-like-beats merge with driving hi-hats and chopped up vocal-samples before the whole arrangement receives a proper 90s UK-styled synthesizer-polish ("Illuminations").

This is big, this is pure and it breathes energy. Thanx Mr. Stefanik for this nice mix-up of 25 years of house and techno however all sounding fresh and modern. This only works with technomusic kids!

Alan Fitzpatrick - Truant

Alan Fitzpatrick - Truant

Alan Fitzpatrick is one of the men of the moment speaking of all things techno! Since his first steps into the arena in 2008 he turned into one of the most wanted producers around. His releases on labels like "Quartz", "My Favorite Robot" and especially on "Drumcode" brought him on par with the first line of international techno producers and DJs. So we are more than happy that the man who rocked 2013 xxl will be the featured artist of our next release on Cocoon Recordings.

His tracks "Memories Of A Time Once Past But Long Forgotten" and "Truant" are two real techno highlights that follow the basic vibe of his last releases. Deep emotional techno full of warm chords and analogue basslines merged with cool beats to get that special Fitzpatrick vibe. Music for dancefloors and living rooms at the same time, charismatic and dynamic! Alan Fitzpatrick is not just another name to be watched. He found his style and shows this in every track and in every of his DJ-sets that he played over the last months in Europe, North America, South America and Asia. He also started a new residency at London cult club "Jaded" every sunday morning and we are sure you will soon hear his Cocoon release there, too!

Sven Väth - Coming Home

Sven Väth - Coming Home

Sven Väth is looking relaxed. The global House and Techno scene continues to define his life but he deals with it now at his own pace — he is in control of his life’s beat. Yet he’s also still the creature of passion for whom producing music, playing sets, remixing and of course flying the world are far more than simply technological or logistic challenges. To his mind, all that stuff is not only brimming with life but also directed by a higher order or even by the kind of “soul” familiar to us from older historical genres such as Jazz or Blues. In spinning vinyl for over three decades, Väth has made the quintessence of electronic music his life’s work. And coping with the pros and cons of nightlife is naturally a part of that.

After a gig in New York he’s just arrived (back) in Ibiza to duly celebrate the “Grand Opening” of his Cocoon Club in the legendary Amnesia in early June. Väth remains a man true to vinyl and hence solid DJ cases. “It’s a matter of honour — and of course also a statement about which generation you belong to”, he explains with a burst of laughter. The usual DJ hero tales are not his thing at all yet he wouldn’t ever want to do without the haptic qualities of real records. “I don’t need 15,000 sound files when I’m booked for a gig — I’m not a jukebox” he exclaims in the unmistakable Hessen vernacular of a (middle-) aged warhorse. “Once the Cocoon Club in Frankfurt reached its end it was time for me to make a cut. I needed a change of space and ambiance, not just a change of address. And so Berlin wasn’t an option, even though I like to play or go out on the tiles there” he says. Väth now alternates between London and Thailand. He and the British capital have had a close personal and musical relationship since the start of his career, he explains, so there was something almost organic about breaking camp in his old home on the River Main in order to set up afresh on the banks of the Thames.

His is pretty much a life always on the go — except when he gets home, as he often must, so as to wind down, relax, cook and of course listen to music — different music than when he’s in clubs or driving to the next airport. And this is the stuff from which the successful compilation series “Coming Home” is made, a CD series that since 2007 has been inspiring heroes of electronic music to put together their personal “own-four-walls” selection and hand it over to their fans and other music lovers. Colleagues from Nightmares on Wax, DJ Hell, the Berlin sound collective Jazzanova and the Paris band Nouvelle Vague have already pulled out the stops for “Coming Home” — and now it’s Sven Väth’s turn to delve deep into his vinyl collection.

He has compiled fourteen tracks for “Coming Home’ — songs he listens to when he returns to his London apartment after playing sets worldwide. “I actually intended to present only my current fave songs — without any particular dramaturgy. But even so, there’s a musical arc of suspense to what came together in the end”, Väth says of his selection. Norwegian Jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen gets the ball rolling: “Poverty And It’s Opposite” hovers like steaming mist over rolling rice fields, a minimalist, meditative trumpet running through an overall weave of Jazz, Classical and Ambient sounds. Here, East Asian influences such as the warm, soft tones of the Japanese shakuhachi flute define the sound artist’s spectrum: an ideal Väth soundtrack, accompanied by the patter of warm summer rain on the porch of a Thai bamboo hut. Horror Inc. by contrast is yet another pseudonym of Canadian DJ and Techno producer Marc Leclair aka Akufen. Väth has compiled his “fave listens” in a way such that the tension gradually mounts. The fifth track, “Fantastic Piano”, from the exceptionally talented Swede Axel Boman sounds something like a contemporary Burt Bacharach composition. With “Tears for Animals” the New York sisters CocoRosie dive into the blooming field of eclecticism while Donni Sò presents “La Pagliarella”(remixed here by Ulrich Schnauss), which was originally released by the formerly Cologne- but meanwhile Berlin-based small label Karaoke Kalk, in the framework of the project “Heimatlieder aus Deutschland”.

These few concrete examples of song show how Sven Väth breaks all the rules and disregards genre borders. “My influences have always been diverse and unpredictable. And that is unmistakably the case also on this quiet listening compilation”, he says in conclusion. And then he has to go. The next gig calls. Another journey into sound!

Mathias Kaden, Popof - Cocoon Ibiza 2014 Mix CD

Mathias Kaden, Popof - Cocoon Ibiza 2014 Mix CD

Cocoon Ibiza turns fifteen! Finally, it's summer and we can't wait to pack our bikinis and flip- flops again for our annual trip to the island. Summer, sun and sand, here we come. And like the years before we need good music for our trip, don't we? So here we go again with the right soundtrack for the journey of our life. Get ready for the next chapter of our Cocoon Ibiza Mix- CD-series. We are more than happy to present two very special artists again: Mathias Kaden & Popof. Two of the most wanted DJs at the moment with their mixes full of taste & energy and in our honest opintion: The perfect "sound of cocoon ibiza" for the year 2014 and the perfect match to celebrate our 15th cocoon landing on one of the mediterranean most beautiful spots!

Chris Tietjen, Christian Burkhardt - Chamber Nights

Imagine Cocoon would be a big international football club Chris Tietjen would be definitely one of the talents coming out of the clubs very own player development program. And he has been pushed step by step to this point to stand on his own feet. Tietjen proofs every week that he is a promising young player and since 2013 he also entered the big field of music production. After his mini-compilation-like debut on Cocoon Recordings which he produced together with Markus Fix, Reboot and Ricardo Villalobos and another 12" collab on Serkal Records (together with Steve Ward) he is about to present his Cocoon Recordings follow up now. Tietjens upcoming release is a stunning joint venture with the Frankfurt based tech-house-master Christian Burkhardt who released two still thrilling 12"s on Cocoon Recordings in 2011 and 2012. Especially his "Stopver Goa" release was a big success and somehow defined his sound like no other Burkhardt record before: He is the man for the big intersection of techno and house and for the hands in the air!

Tietjen and Burkhardt follow this basic musical map with their collaboration. "Chamber Night" and "Ruff Rules" are two massive and bold tracks targeting the area between house and techno par excellence. Rolling beats, dry and sold drumsounds with a little retro flavour meet mystic and hypnotic effect-sounds and magical strings. The two create a vibe that reminds us of packed clubs, hot air, dancing people. The digital bonus track "Skizz" takes it a bit deeper but still with enough drive to make us dance all night long.

Dyed Soundorom from France contributes a cool remix for "Chamber Nights". He worked out the original parts with the typical Dyed Soundroom style based on percussive vocal samples that reminds us of his "Appolonia" masterpiece. The slight classic housevibe of the original is set back a bit as the remix breathes more minimal techno air. Dyed Soundroom creates a solid floorweapon and makes the 4-track-package just perfect.

With Dominik Eulberg and Arne Schaffhausen (of Extrawelt) we welcome back two longtime Cocoon heroes to the label. The two were featured in a VICE Magazine special last year for a "field recording" documentary (http://bit.ly/RKJHaK) which marked the beginning of a new collaboration. Dominik and Arne checked their fresh recorded sounds in the studio and found out that they have a common base and musical understanding. They started to work on new tracks and it looks like this joint venture will continue for a longer time.

The first results of their mutual work is "...A Little Further" which will be released in three different versions on Cocoon Recordings in the next weeks (COR12117). So letʼs start with "Not On A Map" version: This one seems to be tailor made for the next afterhour and the rising sun. Dominik and Arne create the perfect mood for those special moments on the floor with a nice mix of energetic beats, interesting sounds and an emotional bass- and synth-programming. So many layers and different levels however the overall picture never gets overcharged or too demanding.

Coming up next is the "37 Routes" version which quite stands out with the used breakbeats and no standard 4/4 kick drum. The synths are more scratchy and louder and the bassline seems to jump out of the speakers, this is a massive wall of sound production. The direction here is clear. However the two incorporated some cool and magic breaks that seem to refer to the deeper Eulberg sound which forms a great mix of two different techno-visions.

Last but not least there's the "Imaginary Escort" version which appears a bit like the dub edit of "...A Little Further". This one emphazies the cool and reduced beat programming. The "Imaginary Escort" is more DJ-friendly and without the big breaks, it keeps the rolling beat going and going and we see the floors burning to this cool groover, too. One of these tracks DJs can't wait to drop them in their sets!

All three versions make a great package and a big release that breathes pure techno air. No pseudo- retro-hype and no tech-house-mash-up, this one is just techno. Big techno! And it makes us even more excited looking forward to the upcoming festival season!

Julien Bracht - Sub Collapsed

Julien Bracht - Sub Collapsed

Julien Bracht was one of Cocoon Recordings and Cocoon Artists rising stars in 2013.

With his next release he proofs that we all have been more than right to focus on that young man with his magic drum sticks! "Sub Collapsed" is a masterpiece of all things techno and merges elements of some of the biggest techno-tunes of the last two decades. Think of Plastikman, Underworld and Slam jamming together in an intensive studio joint and techno wunderkind Bracht is banging his drums along to it. This is pure energy....and energy flash par excellence! "Drumatic" opens the deeper door to Julien Bracht’s world of sounds and beats and appears like a darker dub of the "Sub Collapsed". We take a deep breath here of all the energy we heard before and enjoy the basic beat style of "Drumatic".

Chris Tietjen - NEUN

Chris Tietjen - NEUN

Cocoon Recordings very own "best of" series presents the next issue which is again simply called by the number of the release-order. So it's number „nine“ this time ("Neun"). Yep, you heard right, number nine it is and another proof how fast time is passing while we listen to house and techno ;)

Sven Väth has choosen Chris Tietjen again to compile and mix the pearls of the last Cocoon Recordings releases. Tietjen started as a young gung in Väths Cocoon Booking agency and developed into a proper club-dj over the last years. He even released his first solo-12" on Cocoon Recordings in 2012 which marked his final arrival in the techno-business.

Tietjens progression as a DJ is clearly noticeable here as he laid down a very elegant and smooth overall mix. He delivered one of the best of his mix-compilations so far. He starts the journey with two Matt John and one Minilogue track which creates a very moody and warm introduction. The transition into the following part can be seen as a kind of "warm up" one would like to hear in a good techno-club. Next in the mix are Adam Port, Popof (Animal & Me) and Nick Curly who step by step feed the mix with more energy. From minute 22 onwards the mix starts to kick in and the bass-cabinets of your speakers should defintely move stronger now.

Pele & Shawnecy, Sante & Frank, André Galluzzi & Dana Ruh are the following names in the mix and together with the next track by Mauro Picotto & Riccardo Ferri we have four strong collaborations waiting in this section of the CD. It seems the "techno duet" is the new way to create cool club music these days. The amount of energy here is triggering the right senses and beams us back to the high days of the Cocoonclub Frankfurt, the Cocoon Ibiza nights or all these infamous summer open airs. Nice one!

The ending section is based on tracks by wAFF, Julien Bracht, Temma Teje, Uner and Mind Against and it is the dignified counterpart to the elegant beginning. Tietjen manages to swing out as smooth as he started the mix. To cut a long story short: "Neun" turns out to be a very nice overview of what has happened over the last months in the Cocoon Recordings universe and it defintely calls out for more... number ten we are waiting!

Ilario Alicante - Wax Weapon EP

Ilario Alicante - Wax Weapon EP

The Tuscan Techno-Wunderkind Ilario Alicante has made an amazing progression from an insider's tip to one of the most wanted Italian tech-house-DJs at the moment. He joined Cocoon at a very early stage and we are proud that we accompanied his steps ever since then.

However it is first of all Ilarios very own sound and style that brought him to this point. This special mix of oldschool influences and pure analogue sounds merged with modern technique and styles and tools. You won't find just another plastic-loop-based track producer here nor a pseudo retro-fan again. Alicante tracks are fully focused on their floor potential however with just the right musical spice to make them that important bit different. Elements of house, techno and various influences from all the good productions out of Chicago, Berlin, Detroit or Frankfurt, you all find it in here.

"Wax Weapon & "XYXY" are no exceptions to this proven formular follow Alicantes handwriting. " Wax Weapon" is a great weapon for all those open air floors and based on a mystic sawtooth synthline that adds this special Alicante analogue flavour. In contrast to that "XYXY" is built on a nice and fat house-chord and almost waves a slight hello in the direction of DHS' "The House Of God" - this track simply breathes the definition of "tech-house".

Rødhåd is in remix-charge for "Wax Weapon" and he follows the original vibe and idea of the track and emphasize the synthline even more, this is exactly what this sounds deserves. The result is a very deep mix of hard techno that will be played on hot summer nights when the sun won't get down again. Mister Ryan Elliott from New York City is going into a different direction with his remix of "XYXY" and combines the original house-chord with almost oldskool breakbeat-house-elements. Elliot one beams one back with his remix into the mid 90s and the high days of R&S Records and big hits like Outlanders "Vamp".

Ilario Alicantes latest release is a close to perfection package of all things tech-house and has something to offer for most of you dancers and DJs out there.

RAR - Hool EP

RAR - Hool EP

Cocoon Recordings keeps on celebrating the arrival of the new year and with our second release in 2014 we present RAR's first 12" for Cocoon Recordings. "RAR" is the current project joint of RAMPA and RE.YOU who made large waves last year with releases like "Everything" by RAMPA on "Keinemusik“ - one of 2013s top tunes!

Minilogue - The Island of If

Minilogue - The Island of If

Tracklist:
The Island of If
Nothing is Lost
What is there to Protect (digital only)

Minilogue are known for their bigger than life electronic music adventures! A fact that makes their announcement „to-have-a-break“ even more painful for us and many of their fans!

Yes, you heard right: Markus Henriksson and Sebastian Mullaert decided to put their collaboration aside for an undefined period and focus more on their solo careers from now on. However they are not waving good-bye without a last mega-sign of their former existence and we are proud and happy to be the label of choice to present this e.p.!

"The Island of If" comes with a slightly reduced playtime that manages to stop the clock at 11 minutes and 49 seconds. The sound and the arrangement follows the vibe of their last Cocoon albums. In other words: Minilogue at its best! "The Island Of It" appears a bit like a scandic winter version of "Knights of The Jaguar" and offers big potential to be one the last hits of 2013 / first hits of 2014.

With the ironic title "Nothing is Lost" Markus Henriksson and Sebastian Mullaert are hammering out a breathtaking epic monster that reminds us of the highly acclaimed remix by The Mole of Minilogues "Hispaniola". Everybody who fell in love for Mole's remix back then will hear pure heaven again with this masterpiece. And despite the epic atmosphere and the impressive length of 14 minutes we are sure "Nothing Is Lost" will also feed the floors of many techno sets.

With "What is there to Protect" (digital only) Minilogue do press every button modern electronic music offers. This is not just music - it's a mad trip! "What is to Protect" is a complete world with soundtrack and audio drama elements. A musical journey that more and more evokes a floor monster the longer it builds up. A 17 minute long synthesis of arts you won't hear anywhere else! Every second of this production should be worth to be heard. And even if the 43 minutes total running long seems to be a bit unusual we feel and think this package is not a single minute too long!

Tim Green - The Humming Syrup EP

Tim Green - The Humming Syrup EP

A busy year is about to end for Cocoon Recordings. We proudly look back to some of the highlights on Cocoon Recordings such as our 100th anniversary release compilation or the last Minilogue album. Not to forget the amazing remix by Adam Port for Daniel Stefanik and last but not least our new artist signings Coyu from Barcelona and Julien Bracht from Frankfurt.

The last one of a string of fine releases will come from London based Tim Green. Master Green released on labels like Four:Twenty, Get Physical or Dirty Bird over the last years. His new Cocoon production will be his third one for us which almost makes us his new musical homebase. With "Don't Like Me" Tim Green presents almost a collage of the current sound of Cocoon Recordings. One can feel the funkyness of producers like Adam Port here and the deepness of names like Julien Bracht at the same time. You also have the pushing and energetic vibe of producers like Harvey McKay in here, too. And for everybody who wants it more crazy and spaced-out Tim Green gives you "Humming Syrup" on the flipside. Although outfitted with a sweet name this tune is solid freaky business. The perfect track for all the freaks out there!

We say good-bye 2013 with a nice melt-down of the sound of Cocoon in the year 2013. Tim Green serves the right desert to a long and delicious Cocoon Recordings 2013 meal and leaves us all with a satisfied smile on our faces.

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE 14TH SEASON

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE 14TH SEASON

For fourteen years the island Ibiza has been haunted by Sven Väth and his high-spirited tribe. In 2013, Cocoon turned the beloved Amnesia into a tropical jungle. The jungle seduces with lush colors and intriguing sounds. Without hesitation you dive into lush greens, amazed by heat and beauty. The sun beaming, wind rushing through, unimaginable beasts roaring in the distance – it might all seem a bit too intense. You might feel lost. Beauty turns into dreariness, an adventure becomes a nightmare. But there is sound, a call. It is as a groove, gentle yet firm, elegant but demanding. These beats lead you through the adventure. The creator of this groove is no one else than techno ambassador Sven Väth. Mr. Väth is not only merging the new sounds of electronic music´s most prolific producers into one big experience. He is also the host of the whole event, using music, dance, performance, pyrotechnics and set design to create an integral experience. As a keepsake of the amazing nights and days Väth assembles the most memorable tracks into a mix-album. This time, the approach is different: Instead of creating two mixes representing each night and day, he produced one continuous set.

As the sun lowers dazzlingly over the Mediterranean Sea the astonishingly beautiful yet inaccessibly distant chords of “Allowance” by Isolée leave no doubt: everything is said, everything is done. Yet this is only the beginning of the set. Väth seems to remind us: An end is also a beginning. Every beginning is the end of something else as well. Väth establishes a philosophical depth, reminding us of the circular nature of life. The suggestive of chords of Lusine´s “Lucky” translate the thoughtful mood into a celebratory energy. Remixing “Lockdown Party” by The Mole, DJ Sprinkle fuses the joy of a block party with heartfelt Deep House chords, harsh cross fader effects adding an unlikely twist. Cocoon Hero Ricardo Villalobos creates an unlikely encounter of a driving bassline and a restrained beats topped by intangible strings. This contradictory tension is dissolved by the sweet piano riff of Marcus Fix´ „I wanna let you go“. With his dry, tense groove Losoul bundles the dancefloor´s playful energy into one focused kick. With its beseeching vocal, Victor Shan´s “How you want it” adds new emotional layers to the set. John Heckel´s marching grooves and nagging acid sounds drive the night further towards its peak. Adam Ports remix of Daniel Stefanik´s “Confidence” is all about the bass line prowling around the dance floor like a hungry animal. Soy Mustafa´s “Bug In The Bassbin” picks up the bassy energy, grounding Carl Craigs classic with the same title in London´s contemporary bass music. Losoul returns with another one of his subtle yet powerful grooves. There are no big moves necessary to jolt at the basement of the club. The Third Man picks up the Detroit vibe, turning glistening chords into an ecstatic anthem, calling 2013´s most intensive moments back to the mind.

The second part sets of on a slightly different, mellow note. Henrik Schwarz´ keen house sounds explore inert, gloomy Indierock-sensibilities, fusing perfectly into Ten Walls´ “Gotham”. The contrast of its alluring melodies and the heavy bass put the crowds of this season consistently under their spell. The restrained choir of DJ Yellow &amp; Flower´s “Sea Creatures” has a sacral quality, recalling the sublime voices of medieval music. Matt John´s “The Keys” dissolves this withdrawn energy in a playful vibe, his cool voice reminding of the hard-boiled crooning of the Eighties´ David Bowie. Butch is clearing this conflicting emotions, creating space for Roman Flügel´s unique way of carving out the fun and joy of quirky electronic sounds. Makam releases the raw immediate energy of his emotionally versatile house style. At this moment, wAFF only need very little to finally push the crowd into the abyss of pure ecstasy. Everything is possible now. Väth scoops from his vaults, pouring sonic pleasures over the crowd. Nihad Tule drops fierce electronic sounds barley heard before, Psyk creates a multilayered sound sculpture full of movement and life. Bursting with energy yet controlled and subtle Developer´s marching electro riff creates an intriguing psychedelic effect. Len Faki and Johannes Heil suggest a certain seriousness. A horn call seems to ask the dancers to persist for a moment and remember the smiles and sweat and everything else that counted in the summer of 2013. It is the end of Ibiza´s season, but the beginning of another adventure: With “The Sound of the 14th Season World Tour” Väth enravishes party people all over Europe and South America with his unique Ibiza experience.

Coyu - D Change

Coyu - D Change

Cocoon latest artist signing Coyu is back on the track with his second Cocoon Recordings release. And he strikes back louder and heavier than ever before! For quite some time Coyu focused mainly on the deeper sides of house and techno, especially with his own label „Suara“. However his new Cocoon Release „I Want Your Jack“ is a stunning example for kicking and strong techno at its best and proofs these sounds are not only made in Sweden these days. „I Want Your Jack“ is pure energy and a dignified successor to Len Faki‘s remix of „Stranger To Stability“ by Dustin Zahn. A must play for the end of this years techno season.

Track number two „D-Change“ is a co-production with Chicago house legend K-Alexi. This man breathes the word „jack“ and he strongly influenced the techno-movements in cities like Berlin or Frankfurt. His productions added the right sound to clubs like the „Tresor“ or the „Omen“ in the early 90s and his colab with Coyu strongly refers to these times. „D-Change“ beams the high days of Underground Resistance and Industrial Strength into the year 2013. The message is clear and pure madness is called out on techno-floors with this one. We especially like the legendary „Are You Ready?“ vocal here, a famous whoop by Cocoon master Sven Väth back in the days.

„Octagon“ is the third track in this package however this is all but no bonus track. This is another proper techno-monster and Coyu added some cool house-elements here. Tribal beats and vague vocal samples shimmering in the backround make us want to dance around a tribal bonfire at night. „Octagon“ is a universal weapon for techno- and house-fans that will shake up dancefloors. This one is for the dancers and not for the rubbernecks!

Riccardo Ferri, Mauro Picotto - The Riff

Riccardo Ferri, Mauro Picotto - The Riff

You still find them, these stories of a producer handing over a demo-CD-R to the DJ in the limelight hoping he will listen to it. And imagine all this on Ibiza, in a full club madness all around with long after hours following and even hotter days waiting. How many CD-Rs got lost in this universe of madness? However, this story here has a different ending. Mauro Picotto & Ricardo Ferri gave it a try and handed Sven Väth a Dubplate over while going crazy at a massive Cocoon night in Ibiza. And Sven saved it and made sure it will see the daylight. He checked the demo right after the night was over and loved it from the first second. Since then the Dubplate have been part of Sven's sets and will now even see the release on Cocoon Recordings!

So here we are, presenting Mauro Picotto's and Ricardo Ferri's release "The Riff". And the message of this release is clear: Cool but lush house beats with the right amount of techno added, merging with hypnotic synths and monster basslines that force you to dance, dance and dance! Get crazy, get lost, forget where you are, shake your head and feel the vibe! These guys know what they want and how they get it! Sure, Mauro Picotto is a master of all things hedonistic techno, however, this gem is one of his best productions ever!

Their second track "EMP" proves this even more, as this is another masterpiece of techno-madness! A track that will trigger the right nerves of Pig&Dan and Argy fans, built on a funky and shuffling beat with a modulating bassline that leaves no space to escape. This one will get you on the floor and keep you there forever! This is pure acid thunder that will make small dark clubs move as well as big rave floors.

Their last tune "Don't Wake Him" shows the deeper side of Mauro Picotto and Riccardo Ferri. Almost relaxed but still highly floor-orientated this one is loaded with emotions, features vocal samples and string sounds. "Don't Wake Him" is the matching sound to the next sunrise, no wonder the guys called it "Don't Wake Him".

Harvey McKay - Cinnamon Kiss

Harvey McKay - Cinnamon Kiss

Harvey McKay is back on the track, and stronger and harder than ever before! His last release for Cocoon climbed to the top position in the Beatport charts and stayed there for quite some time and it was about time that the drumcode- and soma-recordings producers returns to Cocoon. And the wait was worth it as he manages it to bang the drums even more with his new release! "Cinnamon Kiss" brings us spicey cinammon flavour for the colder days & nights that need to be heated up in all the clubs again after this super hot (but short) summer. A massive tech-house-tune with cool oldskool house chords and cool break downs that will put raverhands up in the air. However there is even more here waiting for you as "Push It" does what the names says and pushes the beat even higher! This tune is energy loaded and will power your legs to dance, dance and dance. A pumping techno monster that even features a little D-Shake sample for the ones who know. Pure Testosterone and a clear message: Get on the floor and get crazy! One for the big raves!

Various Artists - Cocoon 100

Various Artists - Cocoon 100

Cocoon Recordings celebrates the 100th release! Well, to be honest, we are even over in the 100 meanwhile as our anniversary release needed some time to get well prepared and to make sure it will be a very special one. And „very special“ is not really hitting the spot here when we look at the package that we've prepared for you: A triple pack of 12“ vinyl is waiting here including new and exclusive tunes by Lawrence, Nick Curly, André Galluzzi & Dana Ruh, Secret Cinema, Pig & Dan, Extrawelt, Recognition (aka Jacek Sienkiewicz) and last but not least two gems by Loco Dice and Ricardo Villalobos! However this is only the beginning as there is a double-CD, too that contains the tracks by the above standing heroes and further exclusive material by Dominik Eulberg, Minilogue, Santé & Frank Lorber, Popof, Timo Maas, Gregor Tresher & Petar Dundov, Electric Rescue and a track by Legowelt. And as its our 100th „birthday“ we added a pair of slipmats and made the whole packge a limited „numbered“ edition on top!

So there is a lot of new food to support the current vinyl-renaissance and we hope to see & hear many of the Cocoon Recordings #100 tunes on the beloved wheels of steel around the globe over the next weeks! This should be the right package to celebrate the magic number 100 and it continues with our sound and philosophy that brought you monster tracks by Argy, Guy Gerber, Extrawelt or the already-a-classic „Geht's Noch?“ by Roman Flügel (just to name a few out of 100). And not to forget all the great albums by artists like Minilogue, Extrawelt, Jacek Sienkiewicz, or Dominik Eulberg and even more all the mix-CDs & DVDs including the most-wanted „Sound Of The Season...“ compilations by Cocoon head Sven Väth! So we needed some time to come up with the right celebration pack here and we are sure this is it! This is the right way to say THANK YOU to all the involved artists in over 100 releases so far and even more it is the right way to THANK YOU, our fans and supporters! Without you this magic number wouldn't been reached at all!

Daniel Stefanik generated some buzz this year with his latest album release on Cocoon Recordings. And he prooved with a number of outstanding DJ-sets over the last weeks that he progressed to a well respected and some of the "most wanted" artists around. We are happy to have the Leipzig house hero aboard and we are proud to announce the long awaited remix-12" featuring remixes by Adam Port, Mr. G, Mathias Kaden and Legowelt. All four delivered outstanding mixes and we are not only saying this because we have to.

Let's begin with Adam Port's remix for "Confidence" in which he delivers a real deep and housey gem with cool Moodyman-like elements. The dark bassline could also be found in a Carl-Craig-Mix and creates a deep arrangement with lots of space and room. However don't sit back and relax as Adam Ports manages it to conjure a hedonistic and energetic tune that will for sure set floors on fire this summer! Although this Adam Port remix seems to be different to the ones we know at first glance it turns out to be one of his best works ever so far! Another "Adam Port sure shot!"

Mathias Kaden, Stefanik's dj-partner-in-crime, builds his remix for "Brothers in Crime" on a very solid and pumping NY-housebeat that creates a decent amount of power and energy. The synths and the dub chords on top make this arrangement complete and close to perfection when it comes to merge house and techno. This one will be heard in many DJ-sets this summer for sure!

Mr. G is following the house route here, too however he creates an atmosphere closer to the one on Stefanik's album. He incorporates more oldskool elements such as straight forward 909-hihats and cymbals which results in a driving piece of housemusic. The filtered strings on top create a dark and foggy club vibe like we know it from the good old days of dirty house music.

Last but not least there is Legowelt with another remix. And no surprise Legowelt focus on the technoid and crazy side of house and techno. 16th hihats, space sounds and analogue synth-action form a mix that refers strongly to the high days of Detroit Techno. A crazy piece of music that could fit into a modern Sci-Fi-Soundtrack and almost deserves the rating "Meisterwerk". On top a very welcome addition to this über-house-package!

Ilario Alicante, Alejandro Mosso - Cocoon Ibiza

Ilario Alicante, Alejandro Mosso - Cocoon Ibiza

Face facts, there hardly has been a "summer" for us here in middle europe this year and this makes us all even more desperate to listen to "the sound of summer" at least. And here it is, the official cocoon-soundtrack for all you warm hearted sunfreaks and island-hoppers out there. Please welcome Ilario Alicante and Alejandro Mosso on the new cocoon ibiza double-cd-feature.

Let's start with the Italian Ilario Alicante and his DJ-mix to get the immediate scoop of what makes this guy so special:

We cannot describe it other than saying this mix rules! Strong but relaxed at the same time with a good variation and xxl deepness in the selection makes this mix a great house-excursion. This is the sound of hot summer nights and happy people dancing til the morning. You can imagine this very special "summer party vibe" while listening to Ilario's mix which incorporates the right elements such as emotional piano-breaks, cool vocal-samples, kicking house-beats and hypnotic basslines. Ilario Alicante is known for his energetic minimal-sets and techno spiced productions however this mix prooves he is a master of all things house, too. And we are talking real house here, far away from the house of all these stadium-events and Las Vegas house-nights. No mega-hedonistic "alarm" and no higher, faster and louder! This is solid house as we know it and as we love it here at cocoon. This is the house that we supported with our parties and line-ups all the years in Ibiza (and on Formentera). And we will of course continue with this in 2013.

The second cd of our cocoon ibiza soundtrack is an exclusive live-show of our latest cocoon artist signing: Alejandro Mosso!

Alejandro presents a CD with partly unreleased tracks and creates a perfect soundtrack for the next weeks and months. The young south american producer (who moved to Berlin meanhwile) will rock the terrace at Amnesia on the 16th of September and this CD captures the energy and the emotions of Mosso's live-set. Dive deeper with us into the sound of Alejandro Mosso where fascinating percussion lines meet house- and minimal-techno-elements. All spiced up with sounds of real instruments and fresh melodies this creates something unique and new but familiar at the same time. Senor Mosso looks at the fluffy and relaxed musical areas here that we might know from some of the cooler Cadenza releases or from producers like Pier Bucci. And it's another perfect soundtrack for hot all the days on the island, for the next beach experience, for salty air and for dancing in flipflops with mirror-shades and heavy sun protection - well, if we finally see the sun this year :)

Pele & Shawnecy - Chrome Digits

Pele & Shawnecy - Chrome Digits

Cocoon Recordings welcomes Pele & Shawnecy for his Cocoon 12" debut. Without any doubt the Rosenheim resident is one of the fastest rising names in Germany. The bavarian tech-house-hero has built up an impressive reputation over the last two years. His driving and testosterone loaded productions and remixes can be found in many top notch dj-sets and charts. Pele is a master of kicking tech-house and his style of incorporating chords and vocals create real peaktime highlights. There is no escape when the sound of Pele kicks in on your PA system!

SHAWNECY native Persian, who shows musical fully controversial direction. Michael Jackson's hip, he sings and dances for various chart and show acts, and also working as a choreographer and dancer. Both together started to produce music end of 2010 when Shawnecy moved from FFM to Rosenheim.

Their first 12" for Cocoon Recordings is no exception here. With "Can't Wait" they deliver the next peaktime highlight just in time for this years summer season start. Merging house and techno this one should make fans of Harvey McKay, Santos and Guy Gerber happy which makes it a perfect release for us. The Flipside "Can't Leave" slows down a bit and looks more at the deeper side. While "Can't Wait" is a proper peaktime monster "Can't Leave" should work out great on the next afterhour and keeps the party going and going. The right sound to welcome the sun after a hot night... change your sneakers for flipflops and check your mirrorshades and let's start dancing to the beat and bassline of "Can't Wait".

The digital bonus track "You And Me" seems to be a dub version of "Can't Leave" at first glance. However the more you hear it to more it starts to progress into an unique and very hypnotic track. One of these tunes that don't let you leave the floor and you wish it would go on and on forever. "You And Me" would be a perfect track to make it into a locked groove at the end of your vinyl... well, if it wouldn't be digi only ;)

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation M

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation M

Covered in the known and beloved package-design but all in pink this time... dreamy and pretty and that's the way to start the music here, too. Dutch based sushitech-producer Makam presents a dreamy opening track that is without any doubt the perfect start for this compilation. Warm harmonies and dropping sounds open up the door for track number two by Matt Tolfrey and Inxec: "Never in doubt" continues where Makam stopped however Tolfreys and Inxecs harmonies and the moody atmosphere meet a solid beat programming and merge down to a pushing piece of music that could have seen the day of light in Detoit, the inofficial techno-capital. Alejandro Mosso joins the club with the third number of our M compilation and he opens up a bag full of positive energy and happiness. With a slight Cadenza-feeling his tune is made for the next beach-party and perfect for all you Âme-fans out there. "Grinding Love" want you to move, forget and dance till you sweat!

Douglas Greed steps back a bit on the energy scale but adds more craziness to the package with his production. "Dynamite" is a freaky piece of tech-house in a cool Green Velvet style. Sounds, lyrics and the whole programming come pretty close to the lala-land-masters big hits. A cool tune with not very usual ingredients and for sure a great one!

Coming up next is "Beatmakerz". As simple as the title is the artist-name: Waff! However the short and simple names hide the fact a bit that this one is a proper monster! Based on cool breakbeats and dark percussions Waff fires hi-hat-attacks, space-sounds and vocal-parts on the listener and creates a rave-anthem that merges down some cool influences. Detroit, Manchester, Berlin and Frankfurt... you all have in here, "Beatmakerz" seems to be a hot meltdown of all the partynights of the last two decades!

After all this rave action it's time again to breathe deeper again and start the 2nd half of our compilation with Temma Teje's "Nueva". Epic strings in a nice Chymera-style meet sraight-forward-909-programming and building up slowly to a big anthem. It's a nice combination of a going deeper without leaving the party trail - perfect for the mainfloor-peaktime-set to bring the crowd back to earth again without loosing the connection.
Number seven comes from Kyle Geiger who shows us another apporach of todays tech-house-productions. He is jacking it down the house, something for you Chicago folks! Geiger's house-anthem-synths and the used vocalparts merge down to something that is close to "wild-pitch". This is the sound of the underground of 2013!

And Gary Beck even shifts up a gear and that's why we love him! Direct and with no hesitation he is delivering it full on! Gary Beck's track could be a designated signing to Dave Clarks red-series. It is techno in perfection with mental synth-stabs forming a banging floor-tool that has only one message: Dance!

In contrast to this Ray Kajioka's "Never Ending" is the first track of the compilations closing-part, the end is near although we talk about "Never Ending". There is more air in here and space for Kajioka's cool sound-design and these nice effects. This one should be the weapon of choice for all you Solomun and Stimming fans from the Hamburg based Diynamic label.

And we are slowing down more and more towards the end with Mind Against and his lovely "Argo". This is the right one for you to relax and sit back and let yourself go. Come with Mind Against and dive deep into the world of Moroder-like arpeggios. Together with the slim and elegant drum programming this is closer to disco than some of all these self-labeled proto-disco tunes out there. WE REALLY LOVE THIS ONE!

And it's time to look at the end now and with the Tuff City Kids' "Meshnerize" we have the perfect tune here waiting for you. "Meshnerize" is the most retroesque number in this selection and incorporates some nice 80s and 90s elements. It seems master Westbam is not the only one who fancy this style of retro-falvoured techno at the moment. So here they are, the warm analogue synths, the New Order bassline and the cool oldskool drum programming. This track is close to perfection - "Meshnerize" is a big one and the right tune to add sound to the next sunrise.

Well, however, we wouldn't be Cocoon Recordings if we end the compilation without another track to keep on dancing after the sun has risen again. So here is a very very last one for you by our latest artist signing Julien Bracht. With a little bit more energy than "Meshnerize" before, the shooting star delivers driving drumloops, hypnotic effect-sounds and massive string sounds. All together create a powerful but dreamy ending for this compilation and the right answer to Makam's opening track. Thank you Julien, you made this package complete and just perfect.

UNER - Phamovi

UNER - Phamovi

Spanish DJ and producer UNER is looking back on an impressive but intense career. After first milestones on top notch labels like SAVED and DIYNAMIC he scored even more points with his last releases on the Überlabels CADENZA and VISIONQUEST which made him one of the most wanted minimal-techno-producers around.

Uner is a child of the digital age. No pseudo retro-analog-attacks here and no looking at the Berlin hipster crowd. And he continues in that direction with his Cocoon Recordings debut. Vocal samples and spacy sound-fragments meet warm and hypnotic arpeggio-synths. There is a lot of room and deepness in here that creates a dreamy atmosphere which is hard to find in techno-productions these days. The perfect package to make into the summer-open-air-season (finally!). Sun come out and let us shine, we got the music!

Matt John - The Keys

Matt John - The Keys

Retro was the by far most overworked musical term in all areas house and techno. And well, we have to admit it it: So is this release by our new player MATT JOHN and his debut for Cocoon Recordings. However, this time "retro" works a bit different. We are talking northern sound inspired techno here, dark but hedonistic, analogue synths and for those who remember: A Certain Ratio feeling all over the place! Of course this is what we hear here and what we feel and we have no idea if Matt John did all this on purpose but to be honest: We don't care! This is great, this is good, this is techno as we like it and most important: This is hard to find these days. So let the show begin, ladies & gentlemen here comes MATT JOHN!

The style and vibe of Matt Johns collection is defined right from the start: "Interview" is built around slim analogue drums and shouts out loud that you won't find loop-house and overpolished drum-sounds in here. It's about feelings and all the colours of sound that create this certain atmosphere. Relaxed organsounds, spoken words and echo-effects form a decent and warm entry in this album full of depth. A perfect door opener, so let's step further into Matt Johns world of sounds. "Angel Dust" will show many youngsters how effective a clean and banging 808 can be. The classic backwards-strings on top lead to that special dark but hedonistic vibe that is almost dying for some cool MC Tune rhyme! Matt John continues with his very own bleeps & plonks revival and with "Monogramm" it is almost undeniable that master John must have been a big fan of the "Sweet Exorcist" and all the other WARP legends. Well, maybe he's not, maybe he never even heard of them but again, we don't care as this is pure dope! No more cut-up vocals, no more Ableton-loop-tools, this all sounds handmade. Simply real as electronic music can be when not created by binary codes and arranged by numbers.

However it's not all about sounding real and retro here. With "The River" Matt John shows his jazzy side and introduces more warm organ sounds and heavy beats and even a guitar is joining the game. Not retro at all but not 2013 as well, a unique piece of music with no real reference. Berlin? Frankfurt? London? Nothing really fits and this means we are listening to a timeless and big piece of music. "The Ocean Inside" sounds far more contemporary and way more up to date then the rest of the album. A dry bassline, dub-echoes, warm strings and a pretty cool groove makes it a nice connection to the techno of today however without leaving the basic "clonk" touch of the album. "My Pocket" follows this and more jazz vibes are spreaded, almost in a soundtrack-style this tune breathes the air of a hard night, of too much alcohol and the cool and grey summer morning after all this. Epic! And "The Keys" is the right answer to this, the sound after you got over the hangover, the energy is back and the beats start banging again and the vocals call us to "enter the signs of today".

"Britz Wind" slows down the tempo again and is introducing the near end of the album. A round package, again soundtrack-loaded but still the right sound for the summer. Track number nine ("The Surf Owl") is a bizarre melting pot of heavy beats, ocean surf and synthesizer bird-sounds, a creation that will not be loved by everybody but so far the track with the highest creative potential on this album. Brave, different, not easy to eat but very tasty if you try to. And Matt Johns stays brave with "Today": A New-Order-bassline and vocals that appear to be recorded through DJ-headphones meet a funky guitar and create a great piece of music with a high recall value. Last but not least there is "Froydish" waiting for us as the last track that is literally closing the door of Matt Johns musical world. A hypnotic beat and sounds that follow a more contemporary direction form a soft and warm ending for a heavy album. A collection of tracks that want time and attention from the listener but takes one on a journey into musical madness in return. More albums like this and Techno will exist for at least 20 more years!

Santé, Frank Lorber - Resistance

Santé, Frank Lorber - Resistance

We all here at cocoon still remember their label-debut as a duo. Timeless and kickin' tech-house with hands-up-energy and potential to set dance floors on fire - until today! And it seems the two continued where they stopped in 2011 but without being copycats to themselves.

Minilogue - Blomma

Minilogue - Blomma

Everything comes in its own time: a wordly wisdom that Marcus Henriksson and Sebastian Mullaert aka Minilogue take for granted. Since their foundation in the year 1997 they emerged to one of the most respected and hard to pigeonhole electronic music acts world-wide. And that not only because in each of their artistic expressions you can feel their effortless passion for what they do - whether live or magnetized on a medium. Also because they do not stick to any stylistic niche to mark their territory.

House, techno, ambient, trance, and lately jazz are equal parts in their creations. The most effective bunched proof for their musical universalism was marked in 2008 with the release of their debut album „Animals““ on Cocoon. Since then a string of Ep’s on labels like Mule, Wagon Repair, Traum Schallplatten, and their own imprint Minilogue continued their story in sound in which everything is made out of the present moment. Also the jazz infused album „Bring Out The Imps“ that they recorded under the alias IMPS with two jazz musicians and a heartfelt collaboration album with the Japanese producer Kuniyuki entered their discography. And between all their work they constantly performed their intense improvised live shows all around the globe.

Privatly they formed themself a life far beyond the big city lights, out in the Swedish woods in the north of Malmö. Here they live a life where the inner gets the outer and where their way of creating is far away from Zeitgeist zones in which musical trends pass by like seasons. In the past five years they met every now and then when it felt like hooking up in the studio, jammed on their equipment without a clear goal in mind and recorded each unique moment that was guided by the experience of the single day of life that marked their souls when they came together. In past months they went through the archives of their creative comments on our time, that been born in moments where time was not on the agenda. In that time just music called the tune and as a result of this pure form of conversation between two souls their second album „Blomma“ emerged. The title of the album isn’t just a name. The Swedish word „blomma“ represents two meanings in one: to bloom and the flower.

The flower and the blooming are deeply tied to each other - as for Minilogue the process of making music and the temporary result of the process is one too, the album title matches perfectly with their aim of beeing aimless. Out of this attitude towards making music again a heterogeneous longplayer arose that does not work like a regulary formatted club music album. It comes in two parts that both have two faces within themself which are constantly shifting: dance oriented rhythm parts and airy layered ambient atmospheres – always intensely tuneful, musical, and shapely. All eight tracks underpin the wisdom that says that in the moment of deep creativity you disappear. Because no ego can be heard and all grooves, melodies, field-recordings, samples, and chords work like a single colour of a musical painting that is full of versatile electric elements und unnatural sounds. Sounds that only evolve if those who create them are far away from knowing that they create.

A state of mind that Minilogue bound on a double album that is just there to let the music speak. That is why again you can’t see their faces on the cover. Instead pictures of the nature that surrounds them in their everyday life stimulate the fancy of the listener while his ears get lost in a gentle amalgamation of rhythm and sound that conveys the impression that it just flew through the bodies of both while their extremities instantly used each instrument around – from the computer to the synth, from percussions to piano. Nothing you can hear on the album is edited or post produced – it all sounds exactly like it was when the atoms of these two individuals danced together. The result is a record with no real beginning or end. An album that tells unconscious an epic story about the path it took to make it. With each atmospheric turn it blooms like an unreal sound fairytale which leaves much space for the listeners individual imagination. You can dance to it, you can ease, you can loose your feeling towards time and space. Whatever happens – in one moment suddenly Minilogue are very close, even if they are not present.

Adam Port - Black Noise Remixes

Adam Port - Black Noise Remixes

Cocoon Recordings is back on the track, just in time to start this years party season! And we are more than happy to present one of the men of the moment: Adam Port! There is no musical boundary for the "keinemusik" artist and with "black noise" he once more prooves his boogie bass feeling and delivers another release that will be a "must play" in every good dj-set.

And if that wouldn't be enough we give you a monster remix by mister Kink, defintely another star of the international techno- and house-scene. As you would expect he perfectly merges Adam Ports hypnotic percussion layout with the Kink-trademark-sounds and turns it all into another super cool oldksool-flashback-piece. This one will set all techno and house-floors for sure on fire - again!

&ME - another "keinemusik" labelmate of Adam Port who refers more to Ports original idea and gives his beats and sounds more air to breathe. The perfect tune to take your warm-up set to the next level and start the peak-time of the night. The right choice to prepare the dancefloor not to stop before sun will rise again!

Coyu - No Man Knows My History

Coyu - No Man Knows My History

For several years now, the Spaniard Coyu has been one of the most active boosters for Techno and House music on the Iberian Peninsula. His own label, his remixes and, above all, his productions can be found at the top of Spanish club music regularly – and his Cocoon debut is no exception here.

The opening track "Long Time Awaited" may probably express what Coyu felt about this release, as he has indeed awaited this record and worked hard for it in the past. He immediately makes totally clear that he has done his homework. That's why "Long Time Awaited" sounds like the perfect blend of Guy Gerber and Reboot – at least two important cornerstones in the Cocoon Recordings universe.

"This is Gonna Change" takes out the energy a little, but still sounds mighty and quite peaktime-compatible, thanks to its driving bass line. "Ballade Du Avril" is what generally would be called "shining bright". Twisted and equipped with a breakbeat, this track forms a nice and skillful contrast to the loop-and-vocal-scrap formula that most contemporary producers use. In the good old high times of vinyl, "No Man Knows My History" would have been labelled a classic B2 track: exactly those kind of tracks that make the true connoisseurs of electronic music appreciate their records until today, because with them and on them you can always discover many hidden treasures apart from the Main Mix or the deeper Dub Mix. And Coyu continues this tradition in a masterful way! Trippy, spheric, just a perfect piece of megacity soundtrack, somewhere in between 9 1/2 Weeks and Blade Runner... and still in the high times of vinyl.

Sam Paganini - Body To Body

Sam Paganini - Body To Body

Samuel "Sam" Paganini is not a real newcomer anymore. After all, he produces great tracks for more than ten years now and also became an acknowledged DJ in Italy during this time. However, his career received an enormous boost since 2011 with his releases on Plus 8 and Drumcode, and now reaches a new height with his Cocoon Recordings debut. Compared to other releases, Paganini's 'Body To Body' EP draws a quite exceptional line.

The title track "Body To Body" is downright breathing the late air of Electronic Body Music and lives on elements which would have also fit into "The House Of God" by DHS or into some of the more minimal works of Front 242. Gloomy, but still with hit potential – this is a rare mixture nowadays. Great!

With "Fire In My Arms", Paganini is then slightly moving to more contemporary areas, more loop-based and more new school, but still a little gloomy – a very unique blend and maybe representing the typical "Paganini style" best!

"Polyester", the most House-like track, is the true hit of this EP! Nice old-school snare rolls, driving 909 ride cymbals and sirens result in a kicking Acid feeling that clearly distinguishes from the EBM mood of the first track. Well done!

The digital version contains two bonus tracks: "Hot" opens the doors to New School House as we know it most likely from labels like Cécille: rolling beats, hypnotic vocal scraps, all arranged in a very DJ-friendly way. The very powerful Chicago bass line of the second bonus track ("Paral-Lel") is fueling the dancefloor and siren and synth attacks, combined with compelling beats, result in peaktime music at its best!

Harvey McKay - Shake

Harvey McKay - Shake

We have to admit it in front: Cocoon loves Harvey McKay! Already his Cocoon Recordings debut on the "Dots & Pearls II" compilation has the finger on the pulse, as it appears to us. Everything should be more orientated to "beat one". McKay follows the return to Techno and strong beats, and delivers a hi-energy package that has no peer.

"Shake" is Techno at its best! Dub Techno elements in a Basic-Channel-style meet kicking, masculine beats as you may know most likely from Santos releases, all united in the meanwhile typical McKay style. McKay is the incarnate Techno beat, and "Shake" is no exception! Given McKay's standards, "Move" is almost a breather. Well, it's still equipped with a mighty kick drum, but everything comes in a little more tranquil. A new twist on McKay, if you want, with a strong Detroit and Berlin flair. Urban, dark, thoughtful and the matching soundtrack for grey city skies on Sunday morning at 7:30h, on the way home from Panoramabar.

With "Mind's Eye", Harvey McKay then returns to his usual style. We hear a dark Tech-House piece with crashy synth chords that remind of the big Slam and Underworld hits. Great vocal samples round up the rave reminiscence in a perfect way!

After years and years of this never ending House revival, McKay presents three fat and peak-time-suitable muscle tracks that transport only one message: PAAAR-TAAAAY!

Chris Tietjen - Acht

Chris Tietjen - Acht

It's hard to believe, but somehow we seem to be living in a time leap... A time leap that already brings us the eighth (!) edition of the Cocoon in-house Mix-CD series. And it's almost as if the first editions have just been released – especially if you listen to them from a today's point of view –, as the tracks of the first Cocoon Recordings Mix-CDs appear very contemporary even in 2013, and not at all outdated, let alone eight years old. Of course, this is above all praise from within our own ranks, but we would like to claim proudly that Cocoon Recordings still manages to present Techno and Tech-House in a timeless look, against all odds. And that whets our appetite for a new edition of this CD series!

Just as with its predecessor, Chris Tietjen was responsible for selecting and mixing the tracks, being deeply ingrained in Cocoon since his teenage days. And even more than with its predecessors, Tietjen manages to draw a big line and to reconcile the sometimes very heterogenous Cocoon Recordings releases. The great gap that Techno fans might see between tracks by Stefanik, Ambivalent and Secret Cinema is skilfully bridged in the mix by Tietjen's combination of tracks, and is even beneficial for the flow of the mix. This diversion is typical for Cocoon: a lot of variety within the set, using only musical material from one single label, without ever losing the tension.

Of course, Stefanik's contributions and the tracks by Mark Broom or Maetrik stand out a little bit, but this is also a sign of a good mix: to find the right proportion between a fluent passage and similar styles on the hand and variety on the other. To stay in the flow but never become monotonuos.

That's why the eighth edition of this in-house Mix-CD series is fully dedicated to the label's philosophy and to all the Cocoon DJs' philosophy who defy all these "Style-DJs" and their loop Techno and Ableton monotony, but rather bring in their sets great variety and a wide range of music. These sets all have a special stamp and bear the hallmarks of their DJs, but they still manage – just as the other Cocoon Mix-CDs – to bring different styles together and this is probably why they appear so timeless... when you listen to them again, many years later.

Julien Bracht - Aime Light

Julien Bracht - Aime Light

Julien Bracht is mainly known in the Frankfurt area, thanks to his gigs at Cocoonclub and the cooperation with the Bad Boys Club parties. His music perfectly fits into the newcomer Techno sound from Frankfurt that is currently becoming a talking point more and more.

In "Aime Light", Bracht pulls plenty of Dub delays from the drawer, besides some really cool and serene vocals. Trippy and crazy, but still dark and with a lot of potential – the next after hour is boiling over immediately, that's a safe bet.

With "Kurayami Love Girl", the percussionist Bracht is almost breaking fresh ground. Gloomy and weird, but still with a lot of depth, much room and crazy vocals, the track is far from being stupid mainstream – sporadically it almost reminds of the musical variety of a Pepe Braddock – magnificent!
The flipside "Acheronian" is, on the first glance, something like the "typical" Bracht track and could be seen as the perfect musical business card of the producer Julien Bracht. A minimal beat with House appeal meets a gloomy Techno background, generates a lot of deepness and is arranged in a steadily rising style, building up and up again. What seems to be a cool tool turns out to be a true peaktime monster, right after a few minutes!
Bracht. A minimal beat with House appeal meets a gloomy Techno background, generates a lot of deepness and is arranged in a steadily rising style, building up and up again. What seems to be a cool tool turns out to be a true peaktime monster, right after a few minutes!

Julien Bracht is mainly known in the Frankfurt area, thanks to his gigs at Cocoonclub and the cooperation with the Bad Boys Club parties. His music perfectly fits into the newcomer Techno sound from Frankfurt that is currently becoming a talking point more and more.

In "Aime Light", Bracht pulls plenty of Dub delays from the drawer, besides some really cool and serene vocals. Trippy and crazy, but still dark and with a lot of potential – the next after hour is boiling over immediately, that's a safe bet.

With "Kurayami Love Girl", the percussionist Bracht is almost breaking fresh ground. Gloomy and weird, but still with a lot of depth, much room and crazy vocals, the track is far from being stupid mainstream – sporadically it almost reminds of the musical variety of a Pepe Braddock – magnificent!
The flipside "Acheronian" is, on the first glance, something like the "typical" Bracht track and could be seen as the perfect musical business card of the producer Julien Bracht. A minimal beat with House appeal meets a gloomy Techno background, generates a lot of deepness and is arranged in a steadily rising style, building up and up again. What seems to be a cool tool turns out to be a true peaktime monster, right after a few minutes!

Various Artists - Cocoon Dots & Pearls 2

Various Artists - Cocoon Dots & Pearls 2

Cocoon Recordings is back in full force with the follow up to last year’s superb vinyl compilation ‘Dots & Pearls’. Providing a tracklisting that is nothing less than the modern interpretation of House, Techno and Tech-House ‘Dots & Pearls II’ eschews monotonous loops and predictable formulas and rather delivers a selection packed with energy and depth.

Ilario Alicante and Todd Bodine have the honour of opening the record and very much set the tone for the feel of the album. "Modern Apocalypse" gives the impression that the duo wanted to produce a matching track to follow up Ambivalent's "Iwato" in a DJ set. The record has a wonderfully stripped and spacious feel to it, conjuring up an early hours feel with its entrancing effect and stabs plucking at the air around you. Next up we have Subb-an feat. Jacob Phono with "In The Night" a track that explores how the sound and atmosphere of big 90s Techno acts like Underworld can be transferred into our contemporary Minimal and Deep House universe, a task in which they succeeded brilliantly. Resonant beats and percussions, some 808 claps, funky fills and filtered layers match perfectly with the hypnotic vocals and form an impressing overall result that fits into the DJ's set at any time during the night.

Mark Reeve's contribution "Carry Me" springs from typically Reeve-like UK-influenced House sounds. Softly filtered layers and cool vocal elements provide the right mood, and the long build-up with much patience and even more emotion makes "Carry Me" one of the best and deepest British Tech House tracks in recent times, a certain winner for fans of 20:20 Vision and Global Communication.

With "Jellied Eels", Marco Effe steps up to try and win the prize of 'the fattest beats on the compilation'. The E-piano chords are a sure fire hit and the warm layers in the breaks loosen the heavily muscled beats a little, but they can't hide the fact that there is an energy packed affair, which erupts in a perfect surrounding and will take any dancefloor beyond the boiling point. It’s easy to hear why this has been sitting in the sets of Sven Väth and Luciano for some time. Danito & Agent! have just recently delivered their Cocoon debut and their mix of deep House elements and big-room Techno citations has already convinced the experts. Their track "Raw Symphony" is no exception here but rather travels further into the realms of cinematic techno. Detroit sends its regards with a fat bass/strings combination and much pathos, based on an elegant House-style beat that never demands too much and leaves enough space for the above mentioned big-room sound. With "Iwato", Minus figurehead Ambivalent contributes a slightly dark but still deep and minimal Techno track that lives on a juicy Chicago bass line and pays tribute to the compilation's motto by using uncommon sounds and effects. The pearls are literally hearable in the arrangement, setting accents in order to prevent the track from sounding too rounded-off. Hypnotic and kicking, but still unpredictably different. Berlin, 07:30 h in the morning – here's the matching soundtrack for a winter sunrise!

Harvey McKay's "First Strike From Mars" sounds like its title suggests, and Captain McKay doesn't take prisoners. Demanding, massive and equipped with a mighty beat, the tune is reminiscent of recent Slam releases or some of the stronger Santos productions. A peak time production that has only one message: no escape and total madness on the dancefloor, this is a winner that has been getting plays from Sven Väth and Luciano! Sawlin's "Posay" is plumbs the depths of the Techno ocean, with plenty of echo and even more reverb, his remote metallic percussion sounds create an atmosphere that would also be perfect as the soundtrack for a big art installation. "Posay" shows that Techno in the year 2012/2013 does not only mean 'in-your-face', but rather depth and elegance.

Besides the vinyl edition, ‘Dots & Pearls II’ is also released in a digital version, which contains four extra pearls, in addition to the eight tracks of the vinyl version: With "Sequence Of Moments", Martinez sends the listener back to the high times of that DBX-influenced Detroit sound full of bleeps and blonks, like Daniel Bell or Fred Gianelli perfected at the time. However, he doesn't deliver a retro piece at all, but combines the raw and direct vibe of Bell with modern sounds, layers and pads, and thus moves himself a little towards the Reboot or Johnny D corner. With their contribution "The Gate", Patrick Kunkel & Sascha Barth follow the current sound of now: matching parts of House, Minimal and Techno, in a skilful mix that, on the one hand is reminiscent of the hypnotic-minimal DJ sets of Ricardo Villalobos and on the other hand releases energy galore, in order to make demanding ravers happy. This is definitely one for fans of Pele and Matthias Tanzmann. Next Ross Evana pays tribute to fat Chicago beats and follows Sneak & Co. with his superb production "Cheget". The kick drum pumps, the claps and hi-hats clack heavily and the thick, pitched-down organ stabs in combination with the percussive staccato vocal fragments make the whole thing even more driving. And as if this wasn't enough, Evana adds some industrial sounds and effects that would easily fit in any big Depeche Mode remix, just lacking Dave Gahan's vocals in order to make the crowd freak out. Playing, dancing, partying, you have everything in here. With their track "Still Laughing", Fumihiro Hoshi & Tadac present their unique and different sound and provide a perfect closing opus to this outstanding compilation.

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE 13TH SEASON

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE 13TH SEASON

There will always be a bass drum making people dance, but it will rarely sound the same. Techno and House are in continuous flux. There will always be people celebrating. And each year new kids join the scene, hungry for pleasure, for beauty, for ecstasy – for life. Over the last few years, Ibiza has established itself as one of the centres of advanced electronic music. A key figure in Ibiza's electronic awakening is Sven Väth. He and the Mediterranean island have come a long way. As a youth, he experienced the flamboyant nightlife on the island, having been introduced to dimensions of pleasure that were not imaginable in his hometown of Frankfurt. In 1999, Väth decided to return some of the energy and inspiration he had received from the rocky island with the unique atmosphere. Focusing on quality music, Väth established a new type of party experience by summoning a tribe of passionate musicians and activists, and in 2012, Cocoon's Ibiza adventure was created for the 13th time. Being the master of ceremony, Väth invites a unique mix of long-time companions and upcoming talent. As a DJ, he is scanning through the unmanageable amount of new music with somnambulistic security, having excavated aural treasures and shaping the ideal environment to release their full potential.

The 13th Season opens with Thomas Hoffding's auspicious voice, subtly arranged by Terranova and reworked by Adam Port. Young producer wAFF's grooves are more stable and demanding, the erotic female vocal luring us even deeper into the Cocoon, establishing the emotional density of classic New York House. Nobody manages to unleash the forces of the bass so wholeheartedly like Berlin's WK7, pushing the set into a more technoid direction. The turmoil that will take place on the dancefloor is anticipated by Margot's meandering acid track. The Tuff City Kids are pushing even further with striking, demanding chords. Octave One's unique, soulful grooves highlight the unrestrained force of the synthesizers. Ben Sims' slick groove is subduing the excitement, with enigmatic bleeps hovering over the dancefloor like an acoustic sculpture. Sam Paganini is moving even further in this direction, startling the dancers with sound from another galaxy. The obvious thing to do is now to push the crowd over the edge with a huge breakdown. But this is not what Väth does. By merging tracks from Sawlin, P.A.S. and Exercise One, he composes a powerful sequence: highly climactic and absolutely collected at the same time, it reaches beyond the vocabulary of peak time Techno. Dissolving into a tribal groove by Silent Servant and poetic sounds of Ray Kajioka, the first set is coming to its end.

The second CD starts off at an entirely different note. A sweet House sound is established by Makam. It's innocent, yet full of suggestion. The crowd is captured by the allure and grace of Dixon's edit of Romanthony's classical anthem, “The Wanderer”, and with &amp;ME's vexing alien sounds, the ideal counterpoint is created. Julien Bracht is challenging the dancers with broken beats and seducing them with a longing vocal at the same time. The simplicity of Alejandro Mosso's mesmerizing melody finally disarms the crowd. Lawrence's intangible electronic sounds are pouring down on the dancers like rain in the midst of summer. Romanian Cocoon Hero Rhadoo is applying the brakes to the dancefloor's movement and controversially creates an irresistible motion. Unlike very few artists, Frankfurt's Roman Flügel manages to challenge the language of dance music. He merges the history and the future of House music in the most humorous way possible. Moving away from that playful sound, British electronic music maverick Four Tet strikes a rather demanding note. The heavy, bassy chords of Four Tet's turn into Uner's multi-layered diaphanous House sound, bursting with sun and light. Gathaspar is unifying the diverging energies with a pervasive soundscape. And Soy Mustafa and John Tejada have the final word: the dancefloor is taken away by their otherworldly serenity. In the end, the music is only a part of the adventure. Sven Väth creates a unique relationship with his crowd, leading us through experience like no one else.

Mark Reeve - With Us

Mark Reeve - With Us

The English born Mark Reeve is an old-school Techno producer. There is no schmaltz, no loop fiddling and no cheap sensationalism in his tracks, which are aiming at the big Techno floors. Dark, kicking and with an incredible amount of energy, he creates Techno tracks that allow no escape.

The opener "With Us" shows all this in an impressing way. The kettle-like ride cymbals and the "Spaced Out" vocals generate an almost mystical atmosphere. The mighty bass grounding does the rest: go for it – nothing more, nothing less!

"From The Soul" slows down the whole thing a bit, however it's still a pumping and lively track. Certainly, Reeve offers more variety in the arrangement, with long breaks and monstrous chords that should make any after hour boil over.

Reeve's "Antidote" sounds like a trip through time, back to the golden days of Berlin's Tresor club. Detroit meets Berlin: demanding, decent and full of testosterone. For fans of Slam and Gary Beck!

"Initial Spark", Reeve's collaboration with Ingo Boss, is a great DJ tool. A cool, kicking groove with much room for long mixes and some DJ work behind the decks. No artificial mood elevators and no Ableton DJ fireworks, but rather solid Techno that leaves the DJ still be a DJ and doesn't take the work out of his hands.

So, Reeve delivers a true Reeve. Also his cooperations with Pig & Dan and his releases on Soma or Traum are shining through here. For those who like it a little more tough!

Paul Ritch - Live At Green & Blue’s 10th Anniversary

Paul Ritch - Live At Green & Blue’s 10th Anniversary

The name Paul Ritch echoes around the world. His productions and live sets, charged with pure adrenaline and characterised by his powerful, harmonic, and deep techno, have made him the holder of a unique mark of sounds in which his passion and power transmit numerous memorable music moments. In 2009 Paul brought to life his own label Quartz Rec, the label puts forward minimalistic sounds that are blunt, sharp and energetic. The label is a testament of the ability Paul has to achieve perfection. With his first release, "Split EP Part 1" (Paul Ritch, 2008), he held the top 2 position in sales on Beatport, reaching over 11.000 downloads. Therefore, in 2009 Paul Ritch was nominated by Beatport as a candidate for best techno artist. Nowadays, the Paris resident Paul Ritch is considered to be one of the most highly regarded artists and producers in the global electronic scene.

Paul is one of the protagonists of this year's Cocoon Ibiza residency "Cocoon Heroes". He is playing at the Grand Closing Party as well as in Formentera, where Cocoon holds another smaller residency at the Tipic club.

His live set on the Green Floor of Cocoon's Green & Blue Open Air – one of the most prestigious electronic dance music open air events in Germany – is recorded and released on a single CD, in contrast to the previous Green & Blue CDs, which were double CDs with DJ mixes. As this is the 10th anniversary of the event and, at the same time, the last one, Paul's live set can be called historical already!

Available on CD and digitally, a couple of 12" vinyls with the strongest tracks of the set are planned…

André Galluzzi, Dana Ruh, Agent!, Vito & Danito - Voyage / Dopeman

Cocoon Recordings No. 10010 is a mighty club tool and comes from the studios of Dana Ruh & André Galluzzi resp. of Agent!, Vito & Danito. Galluzzi and Ruh are celebrating their gusto for dark and long arrangements with quite a few references to Berlin's club culture and the Basic Channel catalogue. Hypnotically, kicking and breathing the vibe of those long Berlin nights, "Voyage" takes you on a trip into your inner self. Endless and energetic!

"Dopeman", produced by the trio Agent!, Vito & Danito is living the pure Chicago House spirit, with greetings from Sneak and iCube, and also DJ W!ld brought this sound back again to the dancefloors with his latest releases. It pumps and it kicks, and cut-off, filtered samples are finishing it all off and turn "Dopeman" into a veritable dancefloor bomb, that doesn't even stop at siren samples and 90's revival sounds. A hit! Put your hands in the air and jack your body, here comes "Dopeman"!

Daniel Stefanik - Confidence

Daniel Stefanik - Confidence

Besides Mathias Kaden, Daniel Stefanik is one of THE Techno and House newcomers of the last years. His carefreeness as a DJ behind the decks and his likeable appearance are literally distinctive for a new generation of young, down-to-earth producers from Germany, which are the result of the influence of Väth, Villalobos and Hawtin on the one side, and solid but hedonistic House on the other. Whereas many producers nowadays have dedicated themselves to only one musical direction, the influence of Kerri Chandler, Chez Damier or Kevin Saunderson is clearly noticeable in Stefanik's music. His longplay debut for Cocoon Recordings is a mirror of all these influences and yet it's so up-to-date and contemporary like only few other Techno and House albums today.

As the name already suggests, "Entrance" is the gate to Stefanik's club world, the door into the night and to the dancefloors of the hedonistic but nevertheless gloomy metropolises of this world. "Entrance" breathes influences from Detroit and Underground Resistance. Not again this pseudo-deep Loop House, or even another definition of Minimal, but a production with depth and substance, however, without cramping or wanting too much. The perfect start of a long, cool night – the sound that opens the gates to another world. "Light On" targets the beat for the first part of the night and follows an almost East German approach, if you like. House music like it's been served by Marvin Dash or Dub Taylor for many years: no hands-up attacks and no overproduced U.S. influences from New York, but slightly raw with an eye for the essentials: the kicking beat and the atmosphere from 1 a.m. on.

"1996" is the next hint of Stefanik's influences and references. Dave Clark and Slam say hello from the background and also the Detroit House scene around Jeff Mills and his early AXIS productions can be recognised here. The kicking 909, the demanding beat and the gloomy-like filters don't sound like Germany at all. And with "Port Of Transition", Stefanik consequently follows the path he took before. Breakbeat elements melt together with Detroit beats and arpeggios into a timeless mix. In a blind test, it is rather impossible to allocate this track to a certain time period. This is a proper universal weapon for all the Techno DJs of this world. "Distillery" is a short break, going back to more feeling and layers of sound, and back to more House beats – the sound that has been characteristic for one of Leipzig's best clubs for many years. House with a bang, so to say, not too happy, not too greasy. The perfect soundtrack to let yourself go into a night that has just begun, to become one with the club and to leave daily life behind you. A very successful homage to East Germany's most important club over the last twenty years!

"Bend The Rules" leads the listener on his journey away from Leipzig and to Berlin, into its long Panoramabar nights and its hypnotic, almost trance-influenced dance marathons, where the slowly rising sun is channelling its way through half-closed shutters and the sweat-soaked, smoky air. "Bend The Rules" is the club and music karma of such nights – condensed into one single sentence. Anything goes, everything is possible and nothing sticks to the common rules.

Of course, being an eyewitness of these nights with the respective music and atmosphere sometimes lets you end up a little out of it and a little dopey – in other words: "Dazed And Confused". The soundtrack for a long walk home, when the club has extracted all your energy... You walk through the Berlin sun and the chilling morning air, yet bathed in sweat – or simply down to the river where the next party is already starting... coming back down... close your eyes without sleeping... DAZED AND CONFUSED!

This is where the transition to eternity is created, to the never ending party, to just carry on. And there's no hedonism needed from the early morning until noon, only the atmosphere is what counts! This very special mood in between the brisk wind, the blazing sun and people that have been seemingly with you for the whole night. "Keep On" puts all this in a nutshell: a beer in your hand and the after hour dancefloor in focus – Stefanik got it exactly! The last track, "Confidence", represents the final chapter of a long and varied night, the soundtrack for Berlin in the year 2012, full of Detroit and House classics, and full of quotes from almost 20 years of House and Techno history. And with pride and confidence, Stefanik can be 100% sure that he succeeded in making this album exactly what he had in mind: capturing the soundtrack of a generation – or better: of a lifestyle. With "Confidence", Stefanik releases us on our way home in a very relaxed mood. By taxi, by train or by foot, this is the self-discovery of a Techno raver heading home, off the party and right into recreation...

Gregor Tresher - About A Good Place

Gregor Tresher and Cocoon are linked by a long-time relationship which starts all the way back in 2004, when Sven Väth played Gregor's productions in heavy rotation. "Neon", "Full Range Madness", "The Now People" or "Still", just to name a few, can be considered as Techno classics of the Noughties. Almost ten years later, Gregor has established his position and is one of Germany's top notch techno producers. With "About A Good Place", he delivers his long overdue EP debut for Cocoon Recordings. He plays his favourite game straight to the point, with massive analogue synth lines, fat kick drums and hi hats that force you to move: This is adrenaline for the big floors on this planet, those with the real fat PAs!

The title tune "About A Good Place" is one of Sven's secret weapons in his recent sets and breathes Tresher-air XXL! It's all about that crazy, detuned synth line that grows bigger and bigger and results in pure harmony at the great breakdown in the middle of the track. The massive kick drum adds what you need to let the sun shine and wave your hands up in the air!

"Lifecycles" follows that vibe, but digs a bit deeper and adds more sensitivity to Tresher's Techno formula, with all the elements that we already know from "About A Good Place". Crazy arpeggio lines, filter moves and the mandatory dark bass line: hypnotic techno with no chance to escape!

Last but not least, there is "The Sun Sequencer" – the dignified answer to the preliminary techno bangers. More relaxed, with slight touches of House and Trance, "The Sun Sequencer" should be the right choice for fans of Chymera and Slam. Imagine the rising sun at an open air festival site or use this as your first tune for the next after hour – this is the sound of the summer of 2012.

Chris Tietjen - 341 EP

Chris Tietjen - 341 EP

Come on, be honest. You also have been waiting for this. For more than seven years now, the 27-year-old Frankfurter Chris Tietjen stands, like hardly any other DJ, with his Cocoon mix compilations for the sound of this label. Apart from Sven Väth, maybe...

So, it was really time for Tietjen to carve his music-aesthetical biases finally into vinyl, because for the value-oriented and highly dedicated DJ, it's a matter of honour to release his tracks in the traditional EP format only. The three tracks on the "341 EP" are not least a deep bow before three of the most important protagonists of the Rhein Main House scene. "Activ", which was composed together with Cécille producer Markus Fix celebrates a deepness that is on the one hand accented by LFO bass lines and a jazzy-sketchy lightness, but on the other hand still pushes forward at a max. With Frank Heinrich aka Reboot, Tietjen had already cooperated in 2008 for the Cocoon Ibiza pre-season mix CD "Disco Invaders". With its flute melody lines, their co-production "Just Happens" presents itself even slightly more organic, before Tietjen sits down in front of the TV with none other than Ricardo Villalobos. All jokes aside, "TV Watching" combines the suggestive effect of Villalobos' unmatched sense for broken rhythmic textures with Tietjen's very precisely thumping bass dub, and reminds in his hypnotic impact almost of Villalobos' masterpiece from 1999, "808 The Bassqueen". Then, the two release you to the beach with a wistful guitar – it's summer in the city!

Joris Voorn, Cassy - Cocoon Heroes

Joris Voorn, Cassy - Cocoon Heroes

Not without good reason is the motto of this year's Cocoon Ibiza season "Into the Magic", as the sun-drenched Balearic island is steeped in a special enchantment. So, with great enthusiasm, the team around Sven Väth apply themselves to the 13th season in Ibiza, and you don't have to be a prophet to predict some historic club nights at the Amnesia. Also the acoustic 'warm up' in the form of the Cocoon Ibiza Summer Mix CD, established in 2007, makes your eyes glow intensely with excitement this year, as Cocoon was able to get Cassy and Joris Voorn doing the mix, two absolute DJ highlights in this season.

It's no less than three times that Catherine Britton aka Cassy is present in this year's Ibiza line up (e.g. at the Season Opening and Closing). For more than ten years, the multi-national Berlin resident is an essential part of the global Tech House scene and can look back on many releases on Perlon, Ostgut Ton, Playhouse as well as her own label Cassy. Her DJ style is characterized by an intensive and groove-accented mixture of reduced rhythmic elements with a certain intuition for warm and sensual Soul, which got her residencies at Berlin's Panoramabar, the Rex Club in Paris or the Trouw in Amsterdam, and already totally excited the audience on her 2009 Cocoon mix CD "Simply Devotion". In her current set, Cassy dives deep into the magic of Dub House: with a stunningly deep delay wonderland, "Kaimanawa" by the Swiss Cavalier aka Agnes sets a distinctive exclamation mark, right at the start of the mix, while the percussive "Put That Record Back On" by DJ Dan in the remix of Peace Division remains committed to the traditions of US Housetrax and "Cortometraggio" by Alfredo Caforio and Gianni Sabato aka Rush? applies a very literal sense to the name of the French label Bass Culture. Apropos Bass Culture: Cassy's favourite producer at the moment, Mr. G (former member of The Advent), embellishes the track list with three jewels: with tropical House deepness ("New Dayz"), the Kasper remix of "Sunday Blues" and at the end of the mix with tribal Subsonic Jazz ("Lex") and thus gives CD1 a more than precious finish.

An open artistic approach is also what the Rotterdam-born DJ and producer Joris Voorn shows on the release. Since the beginning of the 2000s, Voorn stands for an inspiring alliance between European club traditions and the aesthetics of Detroit Techno, and thus won the hearts of Technasia, Carl Craig, Laurent Garnier and Sven Väth. At least since his 2010 club anthem "The Secret", Voorn is an essential part of the musical memory of Ibiza. His set elaborately intertwines a total of 30 (!) tracks by, among others, such well-known producers/remixers like Oxia, John Tejada, Guy Gerber, Samuel L. Session or Radio Slave in his own inimitable way to an artistic Gesamtkunstwerk which illustrates the aesthetic bandwidth and deepness of modern electronic dance music in a superb way. Constantly altering the tension, Voorn draws the line from Lawrence's melancholy and emotional sound sketches ("The Swan") or Matthew Dekay & Lee Burridge's "Für die Liebe" via the sensual-percussive Dub House of Microtrauma's "Pollenflug" and the groove-accented "Acid Jam" by Rhauder from Berlin right up to the grand final with a tropically-dense cover version of the Derrick May classic "Strings Of Life" by the British producer Astro Fram aka Soul Mekanik, who has also worked with Robbie Williams. There is no better way to pay homage to the Balearic island's magic.

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation L

OK, we don't know whether Grammy-award-winning Jazz icon Al Jarreau has actually already thought of the twelfth Cocoon Compilation when he wrote his 86' hit. But that the Cocoon Compilation L is all about love, is beyond debate: the love for electronic dance music, for its complexity and its diversity, the love for this global musical language and last not least the enthusiasm for the well-known and the still non-famous protagonists of this tonal romance that faithfully accompanies us through night and day for more than 30 years now.

And that's why L begins with a proper love song: for "Equilibrio", the Berlin residents Tale Of Us have teamed up in the studio with their – currently extremely hip – boosters Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, Shaun Reeves and Lee Curtiss aka Visionquest. The result is a romantic sonnet for the 21st century, and its dreamlike dabbed piano will be carrying us into some sunrise still – a perfect start for this compilation. On with the Tiefschwarz protégés Rampa & Re.You, whose club hit "Ghost" was essential in last year's Ibiza season. Also "Yeah Yeah Yeah feat. Meggy" bewitches with a unique sense for soulful vocals without baroque-like embellishment, and with its deep organ riff the dry and bass-heavy Trax House gains unimagined emotional intensity.

DJ Tim Green from London, well-known for his releases on Four Twenty, Trapez and last not least for his "Lemon"-EP on Cocoon Recordings in 2011, generates in "Curious Smile" club-related but still shy Pop House from playful keyboard improvisations. This is what you – in a better world – would hear on standard-format radio. And also in the further course of the compilation the cornucopia is lavishly emptied: the Italian duo Doomwork, well-known for tracks for 100%Pure and Tronic, is lustfully petering out in the summery space-time continuum with percussive Dub, gorgeous sound layers and slow-motion vocals; Graham Goodwin aka Sian is pumping out his subsonic rave signal "East Of Eden" to the front and will thus presents true challenges to some club PAs.

Keinemusik act Adam Port, who seems not to have any stylistic anxieties, does his gusto for Boogie bass credit also with "Black Noise", while DJ globetrotter and Tronic label boss Christian Smith (currently on everyone's lips with his remixes for Carl Craig and Underworld) will make even bigger floors shake with his tropical, powerful energy. Two extraordinary percussion-driven energy infusions are then celebrated by Mark Reeve ("Planet Green") and DJ Paul Ritch from Paris, whose core statement "music never separated people" can't be emphasized enough, while the Dutch dream team Secret Cinema and Peter Horrevorts serve a surprisingly industrially-characterized Techno.

The finale is initiated by the best known Israeli producer besides Guy Gerber, Guy J, whose "Genesis" finds a perfect balance between hypnotic melodies and demanding rhythms, totally in the manner of his works for John Digweed's Bedrock label. The last chord is set by Daniel Stefanik from Leipzig: his more than ten minutes long "Everything Goes Green" elevates the process of waiting for the right moment to an art form and is, with fragmented rhythms, patient enough to intonate grated chocolate instead of exuberant sweetness. There's no better way to capture the magic intensity of a terrific after hour party for ever and ever. An album to fall in love with!

Mark Broom - SQ18

Mark Broom - SQ18

Since the beginning of the Nineties, Mark Broom is an institution within the British Tech-House scene. As a DJ, the former London Eastender and now Norfolk resident Broom is rocking international clubs from the likes of the Fuse in Brussels or the Fabric in London for more than 20 years now, but especially his productions for Warp, R&S and Pure Plastic, the label he runs together with studio partner Dave Hill, have defined the hypnotic sound of a whole generation of British clubbers.

After Broom has remixed tracks by Gennaro Le Fosse and Johannes Heil for Cocoon Recordings, it was now unquestionably time for a musical exclamation mark under his own name. And so, the Rave mix of "SQ18" is setting a hedonistic imperative for the club year 2012 right from the beginning, quite naturally interspersing a Mentasm rave signal after about three minutes within its driving Detroit Dub Techno, but never conveys the sense of nostalgic mustiness. Well, that's what you can justifiably call a Techno bomb!

Next, with "Forward", Broom celebrates an opus that is a bit more rooted in the traditions of Detroit strings, that is reaching for the sky – a track where some people may inevitably think of, for instance, DJ Rolando's best tracks. In any case, with the sound boldness and the maximum of dancefloor service of those tracks, Broom puts the musical evolution of modern electronic dance music in a nutshell.

For all digital DJs, there's a more deep version of "SQ18" included as a bonus track.

Extrawelt - Raum In Raum EP

Extrawelt - Raum In Raum EP

Space: the extension of the three-dimensional region; an area provided for a stay, enclosed from all sides; the room-in-room concept is a solution in interior design in order to improve sound insulation in sonic environments.

Obviously, Extrawelt are currently on the roll of their lives. With their second album "In Aufruhr" from last November and the digital bonus "In Aufruhr – Nachschlag" being still on everyone's lips, the two Hamburg residents and excessive live performers Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe deliver another encore. "I don't know about other musicians, but we have the constant urge to make music. Especially the stage when the album was almost finished was indeed highly productive, many tracks emerged that didn't make it on the album, for reasons of space alone. Here, the focus was more on the dancefloor, also style-wise. Therefore, we consider "Raum in Raum" more a sequel than a spin-off, it's the exclusive completion of the "In Aufruhr" trilogy." (Extrawelt, 2012)

However, the acoustic vision of dancefloor compatibility within the 'Extra World' follows its very own patterns. Eventually, it's not about minimal functional mathematics here. The two sound wizards understand electronic music as a picture puzzle that is in constant motion, as a biological sonic reference system of the unexpected, where one involuntarily thinks of a swarm that takes to the road for some mysterious reason, and in which nevertheless each individual element imperceptibly differs from the other. Especially the title track "Raum in Raum" vividly impresses in that sense, with its massive electrostatic dynamics which later flows into melodic gravitation and thus distils the mood of a whole club night into eight sublime minutes. The "Herz aus Blech" remix modifies the harmonic elements of the original amongst piano, musical clock and bass line to an exciting discourse between Electro beats and straight Techno, almost reminding of the narrative approach that was typical for James Holden's Border Community label in the early 2000s. The completion of the three dimensions is "Zeitfuge", a bass-driven excursion to jazzy, percussive Dub House. In the digital version, the Nano Boogie Variation of the track comes ornamented with gentle Electro elements. It's a whole sound universe that is hiding in this 'room-in-room'...

Christian Burkhardt - Heart & Mind

Christian Burkhardt - Heart & Mind

Like hardly any other ambassador of modern Rhein Main House music, Christian Burkhardt has experienced a true rocket-like takeoff in the last year. Burkhardt's Cocoon debut EP "Stopover Goa" has, after one year, still a place of honour in many DJ's record cases. Also his legendary live set in the pouring rain at last year's Green & Blue may belong to the lasting memories of a life dedicated to electronic music. The Heidelberg-born producer has already worked for La Peña, Raum…Musik and Oslo, and his collaborations with Einzelkind and Sascha Dive became a talking point, too.

With his second EP for Cocoon, he again sets new standards. There's nobody around who is able to alienate vocals from the collective memory of Afro-American culture into a hallucinogenic cocktail without harmful side effects in such a way than Burkhardt is. Nevertheless, and despite the massive, forward-pushing bass drum and hand claps, he never loses the focus of his Soul. So – open your mind, we wish you lots of fun with "Heart and Mind" and the considerably acid-like "Waffles", while the tropical-hypnotic seagull atmosphere of "Twentysecondcenturydrama" already whets the appetite for the upcoming club summer season of 2012.

Chris Tietjen - Sieben

Chris Tietjen - Sieben

The itchy seventh year can obviously do no harm to Chris Tietjen. With his usual aplomb, the 27-year-old DJ from Frankfurt compiles the gems of the last twelve months of Cocoon Recordings into a fulminant tour de force, and once again, it's not until this 77-minute-long overall picture that it becomes clear how many superb club moments have accumulated in the Cocoon record case in the past year.

Of course, Maetrik's dark and deep particle house "Crush On Me" plays a significant role here, but also Nick Curly's analogue bass-driven hi-energy attack "Sun City" was ranked quite high in last year's reader's charts in Groove Magazine. Besides that, we find Pele's Dub Tech monster out of Rosenheim ("Nothing Else"), the thrilling rework of Guy Gerber's classic "Timing" by the two Athens-based DJs Kassey Voorn and Pete McCarthy, Dinky's surprisingly dirty and song-like declaration of love from the K compilation ("Lovin") and, of course the Ibiza anthem 2011 by Boys Noize ("Adonis") can't be ignored here, too.

Tietjen's special DJ quality is once again obvious in his habitually unpretentious DJ mix that nevertheless always has the arc of suspense in focus and respectfully leaves the tracks the compositional air to breathe but gives you the final kick right through the combination of the tracks. And this is exactly the reason why the whole-blood DJ Chris Tietjen has turned from a promising newcomer from the Rhein Main area to one of the most formative DJs in Europe over the last seven years.

Extrawelt - In Aufruhr – Nachschlag

Extrawelt - In Aufruhr – Nachschlag

Extrawelt. The variety and, at the same time, the unity of chosen sounds, feelings, attention to detail and arrangements are a fantastic sonic achievement. The valiant experimentation with a well-filled lucky-bag of modern electronic sounds make 'In Aufruhr' so much more than dancefloor entertainment. The spectrum of musical influences has further extended and the disparate styles are seamlessly connected with the Extrawelt spirit. With 'In Aufruhr' the creation of nothing more and nothing less than a new outlook via acoustic imagination constantly displays new facets – even after the umpteenth listen. This is a masterful album from an incredibly refreshing duo.
After their highly successful album 'In Aufruhr', the two Hamburg residents have re-worked some of their tracks for the digital release and have created a hand full of really great tunes especially for the digital market that are definitely on par with the original tracks.

Maetrik - Live At Cocoon Ibiza

Maetrik - Live At Cocoon Ibiza

Even after more than 30 years of living the lifestyle of electronic dance music, Techno is still sometimes looking for a matching form and sound language to transfer the special thrill of a live event to a club night adequately. So, Sven Väth and his crew were even more excited about the live set of Eric Estornell aka Maetrik at Cocoon's Closing Party at Amnesia / Ibiza this year. For the final of a season that was once again exploring the limits of party culture, Maetrik celebrated an extraordinary energetic state of emergency for more than one hour. The resulting live CD is reflecting that matchless mixture of pumping Deep House, energetic Soul and adrenaline-enriched Noise that Maetrik presented already on such renowned labels from the likes of Treibstoff from Cologne, Dumb Unit and Steve Bug's Audiomatique platform, and which is, with timeless tracks like "Snorkel" and "Crush On Me", also an important part of Cocoon's current label portfolio.

The Texan that lives in Valencia in Spain is delivering a brilliant performance with ten tracks or remixes (among them Silicone Soul and Popof), including four unreleased tracks, which will be – for all vinyl junkies – also released on two maxis, of course. Estornell's distinctive style to stamp the night with his hallucinogenic vocals and deep hypnotic beats is illuminating the club with an energy that is literally everywhere. Thanks to the preacher vocals in "The Poem", a longing subsonic pulse in the Jazzersize remix of the Soul anthem "3am", the reduced pumping funk of "The Pressure" or the programmatic Maetrik-style definition "Particle House" with his breathless House mantra, the limits of time and space are overridden effectively, before the final "Crush on me" – one of the best club tracks in 2011 – provides the set with a conclusive climax.

"Time unlimited, time undefined" is the matching motto that Maetrik gives at the beginning of his live set and, no doubt, after a good hour you need a short break before returning into your daily life time loop. Thank god there's a repeat button.

Maetrik - The Reason

Maetrik - The Reason

Even after more than 30 years of living the lifestyle of electronic dance music, Techno is still sometimes looking for a matching form and sound language to transfer the special thrill of a live event to a club night adequately. So, Sven Väth and his crew were even more excited about the live set of Eric Estornell aka Maetrik at Cocoon's Closing Party at Amnesia / Ibiza this year. For the final of a season that was once again exploring the limits of party culture, Maetrik celebrated an extraordinary energetic state of emergency for more than one hour. The resulting live CD is reflecting that matchless mixture of pumping Deep House, energetic Soul and adrenaline-enriched Noise that Maetrik presented already on such renowned labels from the likes of Treibstoff from Cologne, Dumb Unit and Steve Bug's Audiomatique platform, and which is, with timeless tracks like "Snorkel" and "Crush On Me", also an important part of Cocoon's current label portfolio.
The first accompanying 12" features the mind-blowing up-tempo-Techno monster "The Reason" and the programmatic Maetrik-style definition "Particle House" with its breathless House mantra.

Boys Noize - Adonis Remix EP

Boys Noize - Adonis Remix EP

ther track so closely connected to Sven Väth's twelfth Ibiza season, like "Adonis" by Alex Ridha aka Boys Noize. With his fusion of Energy Disco with massive percussions and Chicago memories, "Adonis" fitted just perfectly to the intensive late summer we had. But there's still more to come, and so Cocoon Recordings are offering no less than five congenial versions: on the vinyl edition we find, besides the original version, the first remix of "Stone Breaker" Mark E, DJ and producer from Birmingham who recently had the honour to do an album on the well-respected US label Spectral Sound. He skilfully transfers "Adonis" into a hypnotic House opus with a recognisable Detroit pinch.

And besides that he opens an After Hour-compatible Motorcity Cosmic Disco with his slower Acid Dub Mix, which is the second Mark E remix, included in the digital version only. Likewise only featured in the digital version and also no stranger to the community is the Frenchman Terence Fixmer. Being well-known as the innovator of a sound symbiosis between Industrial, EBM and Techno (for International Deejay Gigolo, Planete Rouge and Electric Deluxe, among others), he purges the track to a vibrant form of Dark Acid with spare vocals and thus catapults the Acid Trance of the Nineties into the modern age. The Cocoon homie Patrick Kunkel interprets "Adonis" significantly more percussive and takes up the summery atmosphere of the original without ever losing his personal artistic handwriting, while Djedjotronic, companion of Popof and highly promising newcomer on Ridha's Boys Noize label, puts the exceptional qualities of the track in a nutshell, with his compact edit.

Various Artists - Cocoon Dots And Pearls

Various Artists - Cocoon Dots And Pearls

Right before Christmas, it's the perfect time to pause for a moment and to draw a balance of the past year. Cocoon Recordings' eleventh year of operation was characterised by pacesetting compilations: the "K" composition designed an intensive vision of modern electronic dance music, and also "Eleven Years" was a Techno retrospective and an outlook at the same time. And if this wasn't enough already, Cocoon now puts a very special Christmas gift under our tree, the "Dots and Pearls" double vinyl compilation. Eight tracks by eight different artists (plus one bonus track in the digital version), newcomers and old hands, compete to be the listener's winter favourite.

It all starts with DJ and producer Patrick Gallenmüller aka Pele from Rosenheim who fully relies on the deep reflex of Dub Techno with his long runner "Nothing Else", while Frank Lorber together with Bernd Maus and Eric Besier as Tres continue their success story of last year's EP "Tres presents Uno a Cuatro" with a mysterious and soulful Dub House modernism ("Sunrise"). Martin Ferrer Vega aka Mar-T can look back on a more than 12-year-long career as resident DJ at Amnesia (Ibiza) – so, it's no surprise that his Tribal House rocker "Dolce Vita" really makes you dance. At the end of the B side, the record features a true winner track: on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the friendship between Germany and Japan, Sven Väth announced a producer contest, and Yunyamabe's "3745.8", the winner track, already whets the appetite for next summer with its melancholy tropical mood.

On the second record, Dutch shooting star Egbert delivers his most energetic track to date with "Hallucinogeen", while Sardinian multi-talent Alessio Mereu's intensive "Regret" doesn't hide his basic musical education and designs a sensual masterpiece in between Mediterranean spirit and the aesthetics of Detroit Techno. The Mobilee discoveries Marco Freivogel and Ingo Gansera aka Exercise One from Berlin are acting in a very strict way, and their gnawing noise-stressed hypno monster "Top Score (Stop Thinking!)" on side D is the highlight of their current live set. Luca Saporito and Anthony Middleton aka Audiofly still top their Get Physical long player "Follow My Liebe" and bewitch the listener with a hypnotic Dark House jewel ("Which came first"), whose organ sounds and Chicago-like vocals will make the one or other club night freak out.

Popof - Blue Dream

Popof - Blue Dream

For more than fifteen years now, the Paris-based DJ, composer, party promoter and label head Alexandre Paounov aka Popof is an indispensable institution of France's Techno and House scene. He is not only providing a constant flow of high-quality electronic dance music but is also responsible for some of the most exciting dance events in Southern Europe, being a member of the party collective Heretik System. Especially in the last five years, Popof's releases were synonymous for the really exceptional moments during a night at the clubs, thanks to their intentionally open-minded variety between a minimalistic rocker attitude ("Alcoolic" on the British label Cr2), hypnotic guitar riffs ("Do you want me" on his own Form imprint) or siren-noise-affine percussive disco ("Roxy" on Cocoon Compilation J). The success also got him numerous remix jobs for the likes of Depeche Mode, Tiga or John Starlight ("Road Rage"), among others.

With his maxi debut on Cocoon, an uncompromising dance floor attack, Popof proves to to have a sound grasp of contemporary developments: in "Blue Dream", a penetrating alarm clock provides magic moments of recognition within all the flickering rhythms while "Dancing Moon" makes the bass membrane vibrate and finally "Hockner" transforms his sparingly accentuated Chicago Acid into a collective ecstasy. This is how electronic energy sounds in 2012.
Additionally, the digital version contains a remix by Maetrik: as Popof has already remixed the track "Push Me" on Maetrik's latest release – also included in the digital version only – and gained a big success, Maetrik didn't want to be left behind, unceremoniously remixed "Blue Dream" in a new groove and arrangement and thus brought the tune to new heights.

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE TWELFTH SEASON

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE TWELFTH SEASON

Sven Väth mixes the universal hits and hidden gems of this year´s club music into a 160-minute trip into the now of electronic music. The 12th volume of Väth´s “Sound of the Season”-Series is a unique listening experience for electronic music afficionadas and innocent bystanders alike.

With the Cocoon Heroes, Sven Väth´s techno tribe entered a new stage in its never ending metamorphosis. Fuelled by the communicative energies of the social networks of the internet the Cocoon is opening up, declaring ravers and performing artists, dancers and helpers part of the Cocoon as well. Within the concept of the Cocoon, this is something entirely new: As the nineties, techno´s groundbreaking decade, came to an end, Sven Väth realized a fundamentally new path had to be persued. Calling longtime fellow travellers and new acquaintances together to form a Cocoon: a remote safety zone and a exciting playing ground, a highly productive agency and a weird tribe of electronic music freaks and party animals. With the Cocoon club, Väth and his companions created a new type of club which fused sound and space into one immersive experience. Having realized that the daily life in the big cities compromises partying without limits, they set up a second home each summer at Club Amesia on the Mediterreanian island of Ibiza. The “Sounds of the Season”-Series is an aural photo album and an a compressed culmination at the same time. The love for electronic music is the driving force of all Cocoon´s endevours. Yet they closely watch what is going on outside their Cocoon. Exited about the chatter about musicans and night life going on services like Facebook or Twitter, the concept of the Cocoon heroes was created. Serving as an arena for gossip and discussion, there is even a Facebook app to create the most unlikely avatars, desolving the border between performer and listener.

In the first part of “The sound of the 12th season”, Väth melds the crowd into an orgiastic techno feast. Being bold in its outcome, the beginning is quite subtle. Efdemins and Kozes surprisingly slow grooves lure the dancers into their unique electronic sounds. With their demanding beats and heavy basslines, Dense &amp; Pika set a different, energizing tone. Suprsingly quick Väth reaches a first peak with Boys Noize´s „Adonis“ - an unlikely encounter of a 80s-Chicago-House-bassline and a seductive arabesque melody. But Väth doesn´t give it all away just now. With the elegant techno soul of Justin Vandevolgers he lets the crowd take a deep breath. Then, when you don´t expect it at all, Todd Terjes accoustic space disco sets in. Terjes Tracks is as an unexpected exposition of the hammering bass and nasty acid sounds of Mark E´s “Belvide Beats” as well. Entering with unexpected force, the gates are open now. The contradicting forces of the dancefloor are finally in sync. Only Väth´s longtime favorites Chateau Flight manage to bring this orgiastic mess back on a managable level. With their stripped down funk, they create a perfect stage for the electronic fusion jazz of Aufgang. The final sequence of the first mix is a journey into melodic electronic sounds: Gary Beck takes us into a clowd of allien strings. Benoit Sergio´s processed voice sounds like Indiepop from a parallel world. Acquiesence´s cloudy soundscapes let us dive into an ocean of pure electronic grace.

With tracks by Steffi, Gerd and Anthony Collins, the House grooves of the second mix set an entirely different mood. It is a set for those moments when the party goes on for hours or even days, when the dancers are completely lost in the elyptic electronic sounds. Move D puts us into a deep trance driving our ever moving bodies into accoustic territories yet to be discovered. A tiny vocal sample is endlessly repeated until the human voice is stripped bare of all humanity. Osunlades shockingly beautiful voice is enriched by Ame´s multilayered House sound which encounters Alli Borèm rough “Scotch Your Mind”. Borèm funnily mocks senseless afterhour conversations bare of any sense. Maceo Plex sets a driving disco groove which desolves into Roman Flügels subtle, analytical approach to classical Chicago house. With tracks by Philip Bader, Matt John and Re.You the grooves and voices disssolve into those poetic moments when everything but the music is forgotten. The groove, like life, never ends. But this mix has to. And it does, with Mark E.´s longing synth-pop.

There are many Cocoon Heroes, but there is only one Sven Väth. With his unique curiosity and courage, he gives us a chance to surrender to the music completely. Finally we realize that the beauty and the beast are two faces of the some creature. It is always the electronic trip that you was hoping for. But it never comes the way you expected it to.

Extrawelt - In Aufruhr

Extrawelt - In Aufruhr

Already their debut maxi "Soopertrack" on Border Community from 2006, which can still be found in many DJ cases, but also the "Titelheld EP" (2006) and the album "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" from the year 2008, which belong to the best-selling releases on Cocoon recordings, have also ultimately rocketed the two Hamburg residents Arne Schaffhausen and Wayan Raabe – famous for their excessive live performances – to the Mount Olympus of the most style-forming Techno protagonists within the last ten years.

"We don't want cowardly Zeitgeist Techno. We want to be courageous and dare new sounds and melodies. Sunrise scenarios, energy, revolution and 'Kaputtheit' – these are all parts of the Extrawelt", the two musicians once said, and this artistic credo applies for the long-awaited second Extrawelt album, too. "We took our time and have collected tracks that have particularly touched us, no matter whether they are club-compatible or not. Besides that, we didn't want to repeat ourselves but create a unique second album that's stands for itself."

Without doubt, the two have succeeded in this!
Writing about the single tracks here would not make much sense. Just a few words: Every single track is unique! And still, there is definitely inside what the label promises: Extrawelt. The variety and, at the same time, the unity of the most different sounds, the caring arrangement and the fascination for details can only be described as a great sonic performance! This is again that valiant and brave reaching into the well-filled sonic lucky bag of modern electronic music that makes "In Aufruhr" so much more than just dancefloor entertainment.

The spectrum of musical influences has again extended and the most different styles of electronic music are connecting seamlessly with the Extrawelt spirit. Here, the sonic Zeitgeist is not the determining variable for the music – what really counts is the creation of nothing more and nothing less than a new world, by the means of a never-exhausting power of acoustic imagination which shows new facets, even after the thousandth time of listening pleasure. One should be careful with the use of superlatives, but this is exactly how masterpieces are sounding!

Santé, Frank Lorber - Rootdown

Santé, Frank Lorber - Rootdown

Frank Lorber & Philipp Maier aka Santé are rolling a big Tech House blunt that abducts you deep into the realms of modern club music. Hypnotic, groove-charged and with a very demanding bass line, the duo proves that their cooperation was a very good idea. Santé (who is well-known for his productions for Be Chosen and Tiefschwarz's label Souvenir) and the Frankfurt-based Cocoon DJ and "Nummer" label boss Frank Lorber are harmonizing perfectly. The duo are presenting three big tunes that create the appearance that they have been producing together all their lives.

While "Rootdown" and "Give It To Me" are fathoming the House area in a very skillful way, "You Know Paris" is nothing else than a veritable Tech House burner, which has no need to hide behind the productions of Butch or or Reboot. A great release, which will perfectly fit into the highly convincing DJ sets of Lorber and his colleagues!

Nick Curly - Sun City EP

Nick Curly - Sun City EP

It has not gone by unnoticed that, over the last five years, the Rhein Main area has become a decisive nucleus for innovative, powerful and modern House music. One who is not entirely innocent of this is Mannheim-based DJ, producer and label head Nick Curly, whose imprints 8 Bit and Cécille Records are guarantees for standard-setting electronic dance music. Since his Cocoon debut "Pujante" (2009) and especially since the Party Animals Cocoon Ibiza Summer Mix 2010, he is a frequent and welcome guest at Cocoon's.

The three tracks of his "Sun City" EP are an impressive proof for Curly's maturation process: with a clear orientation towards the needs of the dancefloor, he exploits the sound potential of compressed House textures. The title track captivates the listener with a subsonically perfected bass line and a discoid Hi-NRG modulation, forming a deluxe prime time anthem, whereas the dense and dub-referring deepness of "Green Baize" is enchanting just everybody, and, for the final, "Libero"'s rich percussive rhythms are strongly stressing the pelvic thrust. So, virtually nothing can go wrong with Nick's World Tour between Ibiza, Moscow, Manchester and NYC!

Raresh, Sascha Dive - Green & Blue 2011

Raresh, Sascha Dive - Green & Blue 2011

Since its beginnings in 2003, Green & Blue definitely belongs to the mandatory dates of the season for lovers of electronic dance music. And with its ninth edition, the annual open air highlight of the Rhein Main Techno scene returns to its starting point: the former Waldschwimmbad in Sven Väth's birthplace Obertshausen. Besides Sven Väth, Carl Craig and Ricardo Villalobos, there are also Raresh and Sascha Dive who invite us to probably the last Sunday dance this season.

For sure, the Bucharest-based producer and DJ Rares Ionut Iliescu aka Raresh is not unknown to many Cocoon fans, as he has sustainably proven his extraordinary DJ talent already with the Freakshow Cocoon Summer Mix 2007 and his well-received performances at Green & Blue 2007 and 2008. His mix is steeped by a distinct Soul factor in the tradition of the Dub Techno that Basic Channel releases, and is, at the same time, so much more. In the beginning, the Detroit neo-dubbers from Deepchord place a traditional intro with "Sofitel" from the 2011 album "Hash-Bar Loops", but with incredibly deep tracks from the Berlin-based Danilo Schneider ("L'ecole" - Buck Remix) and from Detroit mobile DJ Delano Smith, Raresh proves the timeless modernity of his musical sound experience. Subsequently, the Techno density of the mix increases significantly with Ion Ludwig's "Harnas Rythm" on the Frankfurt-based Be Chosen label, only to savour the hypnotic factor towards the finale to full extent with the Romanian discovery Dan Andrei and the great Ricardo Villalobos Dub of the 90's Energy-52-club-anthem "Cafe del Mar".

Another artist on the Blue Floor is Sascha Dive, who is living near Frankfurt and, like almost no other DJ/producer in thee last six years, is connected with the constant innovation of House music. His releases on Raum...Musik, La Peña, his own Deep Vibes-label and last not least his contribution to the current Cocoon Compilation K ("New Frontiers") belong to the standard-setting tracks of modern electronic dance music. His set combines the best elements of American and European club tradition. So, his start with the encounter of Polish-born Techno globetrotter Margaret Dygas with the '99 Dub Soul hymn "I will lead" by Problem Kids perfectly illustrates his stylistic bandwidth between deepness and fragmented sound aesthetics. The highlights in this visionary set with tracks by Osunlade, the ex-The Advent member Colin McBean and Sascha Dive himself are the impressionistic piano lines in Ben Klock's "OK", the Luciano remix of the Planet E classic "Can't Take It" by Recloose and the suggestive Minimal Soul anthem "Walking The Pattern" by the Canadian mastermind Guillaume & the Coutu Dumonts from his 2010 album "Breaking the Fourth Wall". So, at least with the help of Raresh and Sascha Dive, the 4th of September is going to be HOT!

Boys Noize - Adonis

Boys Noize - Adonis

Hardly any other German music producer is so involved in the powerful development of Elektro, Techno House and Noise Pop over the last six years as almost 30-year-old Alex Ridha from Berlin. With highly acclaimed releases on International Deejay Gigolos, Turbo and last not least his own label Boys Noize Records, Ridha defined the dancefloor culture for many clubbers in the noughties, he has been awarded Best Electronic Artist on Beatport three times consecutively and he has worked with prestigious acts from the likes of Depeche Mode, Kelis, Daft Punk or the Black Eyed Peas.

Ridha positions his Cocoon debut "Adonis" within virgin territory, style-wise: with a shameless summery easiness, he clashes a Balearic understanding of Energy Disco with powerful percussion structures and Chicago Trax vocal memories within the adrenaline-filled hyperspace – you don't need to be a soothsayer to predict this track a similar success like Joris Voorn's "The Secret" last year. We'll see how quickly the strictly limited premier edition of 500 copies in "marbled vinyl" is sold out.

Ross Evana, Caytas & Patz - Thrilla In Manila / Deep Blue Sea

Ross Evana, Caytas & Patz - Thrilla In Manila / Deep Blue Sea

The London resident Ross Evana already excelled as DJ at Pacha NYC, at Ministry of Sound London or in the We Love Space series in Ibiza, and has been ranked # 12 in the Beatport House charts with "Ouija Board". His track "Thrilla in Manila" first takes its time to build up before it sets a tremendously powerful exclamation mark on the dancefloor with its tropical-hypnotic percussions.
With its second track, the ninth edition of Cocoon's 10"-series leads us to the land of the midnight sun. The two Stockholm-born cousins Alex Caytas and Aleks Patz have started their musical collaboration only in 2007 but can already look back on a hand full of very good produced releases for the Stuttgart-based label Parquet Recordings and the Italian label Caremella, as well as on remixes for Martin Dawson/King Roc and Voltique. "Blue Sea" shows the duo's affinity to the energetic Deep House Techno of the Nineties: with its organ sound, blues vocals and a highly infectous bass line, this track could almost pass as a modern and uncluttered version of St. Germain, being predestined for warm summer nights.
This is how Techno sounds in 2011.

Lawrence - Timeless

Lawrence - Timeless

Being Germany's Gateway to the World, the port city Hamburg always had a special affinity to America. So, it's not surprising that Peter M. Kersten aka Lawrence has a deep musical and spiritual relation to the Detroit Techno aesthetics for more than ten years now. His label Dial Rec, which he runs together with Carsten Jost, stands more than almost any other European address for the value-conscious cultivation of high-quality melancholy Techno. After seven albums under his producer aliases Lawrence and Sten, Kersten now continues the perfection of his sound vision also as a DJ in a congenial way.
"Timeless" is far away from the dictate of the dogmatic obligation to currentness that DJs have to face nowadays, but celebrates electronic dance music as a timeless sensual component. With instinctive certainty, Kersten covers 16 years of living club history without ever losing the sight of the acoustic 'here and now', or even becoming the slightest bit anachronistically nostalgic. Instead, under his sensitive hands, milestones of minimalized Deep House like "Forever Monna" by Chez Damier, Ron Trent and Stacey Pullen (1995) or the 1999 club hit "Overcome" by Thomas Melchior/Baby Ford come together with contemporary and intensive hommages to Detroit Techno like Smallpeople & Rau's "Life Aquatic", Delano Smith's "My Life" or Pigon's fantastic Dub Tech romance "Beatmatching" from the 10-Years-Anniversary compilation of Dial Rec in a wonderful way. Besides that, the mix features such well-known names like Aril Brikha, Isolée, the Ifach Collective and Robert Hood, before Roman Flügel sets a wistful final chord with "Brian Le Bon", a track based on Duran Duran's masterpiece "Save A Prayer", and Plaid finishes the mix with the crystalline "OI" from their classic album "Not For Threes" (Warp).
Lawrence's mix literally breathes the serenity of a light-flooded Sunday morning somewhere between a modernist city and a wood glade, and thus gives his global artistic approach a suitable dimension.

Tim Green - Lemon

Tim Green - Lemon

25-year-old Tim Green from the South of England is well-known to the attentive observer of the electronic dance music scene: Besides releases on Get Physical, Trapez and Four:Twenty Recordings, he also gained a lot of attention with his contributions to the third Cocoon 10" vinyl ("Lone Rider") and the Cocoon Compilation I ("Exercise"). On his debut EP, Green presents the whole stylistic bandwidth that modern floorfillers can have.

For almost ten minutes, "Lemon" oscillates between a full frontal percussion assault, fragmented Deep House vocals and Detroit-influenced harmonies, consequently setting the signs to 'summer'. The first track on the flipside, "Jimmy Rave Up", is a dark and pushing runner that impressively proves Green's wealth of variants once again. The trio is completed by "Dodjo", a track that forms a more than pleasing intersection between tropic Calypso sounds and machine-like strictness – an unforgettable track that will echo long after the year 2011, promised!

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation K

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation K

The Cocoon Compilation K, being the longplay flagship in the Cocoon catalogue, adequately starts the second decade of the label with a musical imperative. But don't worry: even if the letter K has sometimes been misused as an indicator for the degree of hardness of some sonic noise in the past of the Tech-House scene, "K" is definitely the deepest survey of contemporary electronic dance music that has ever seen the light of day on Cocoon Recordings.

The beginning is performed by the 20-year-old Berliner David August, who was able to establish himself as one of the most promising talents in the capital's scene with releases on Diynamic and Stil Vor Talent. With its sensual and melancholic SloMo-Disco and a short Acid insert, "True Romance" sets a first massive musical exclamation mark. After this, it gets profoundly hypnotic, thanks to the Siberian singer and DJ/producer Nina Kraviz, who already caused a stir with her releases on Radioslave's Rekids label and with being the host of Moscow's Propaganda Club. Her dreamy vocals and the streamlined Deep House of "W-Bleu" are for sure something that Baby Ford would have been proud of, too.

Following these two Compilation newcomers is Alejandra Iglesias aka Dinky, who was already able to give her career a big kick start with the unforgettable "Acid in my fridge" seven years ago. "Luvin" indulges the senses with a darkly shimmering Disco-House-Pop draft and some subtle Goldfrapp reminiscenses, and has thus what it takes to become one of THE summer tracks 2011. The Berliner-by-choice Henrik Schwarz from the Inner Visions circle is then uncompromisingly setting the course more to the dancefloor with his mythic-percussive Dub-House runner "Now This Way", while the Far-Eastern-like, hypnotic reduction of the "Blue Storm" by Matt John – one of the most important artists on the Berlin in-label Bar 25 – irresistibly takes our collective consciousness to Floor #7 after that. And so, literally each track of this standard-setting acoustic treasure chest deserves a detailed appreciation.

The meeting of the two House modernists Christian Burkhardt & Einzelkind ("Icon") as well as Sascha Dive's Minimal-Ska-influenced "New Frontiers" show that the Rhein Main area is still good for some damn innovative tracks. Maetrik shines again with his dirty Soul-Tech ("Caught Between), and with the mean high-frequency Wild Pitch "The Thrust", the Greek-born Argy delivers the inofficial successor of his "Unreliable Virgin". Besides that, the Dutch Rush Hour shooting star Tom Trago continues the long-lasting history of Detroit-sounding relations with our neighbour country in a congenial way, using a quite percussive organ motif ("Fifth Fase"). The Mainz-resident Butch doesn't need an introduction anyway, at least since "No Worries" came out – with his siren-like Deephouse jewel "Antique", he could hardly be ignored this summer.

The compilation is completed by our two favourite Swedes Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson aka Minilogue from Malmø. Three years after the phenomenal "Animals", their 16-minutes-track "Blessed" is without doubt the most sensual and melancholic title that the two have ever produced together, and this track is a more than dignified finale for an edition of the Cocoon Compilation that is hardly to be exceeded when it comes to acoustic perfection and artistic richness. You can't get any closer to the pulse of modern electronic music culture, in a little more than 100 minutes.

ADAM BEYER, Dorian Paic - Cocoon Heroes

ADAM BEYER, Dorian Paic - Cocoon Heroes

The character of the hero first came up in the ancient world. The word 'heros' originally comes from classical Greek and was often used to describe the mythical founders of cities and nations. Many of the ancient hero figures were at the same time demigods or at least the objects of a strong religious worship. What was that again? God is a DJ?

All jokes aside. The Cocoon team around Sven Väth has chosen the motto "Cocoon Heroes" for the twelfth Cocoon Ibiza season. Not as a self-adulation, as in the end all participants – whether they are behind the decks, the bar or, above all, on the dancefloor – are the true heroes of the night. And as the official warm-up for this mega event series, Cocoon Recordings is providing us with the now fifth edition of the Ibiza Summer Mix.

One of the true highlights in this season is the performance of Adam Beyer on July, 25th. The Drumcode label head who lives in Stockholm is, together with Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills and Sven Väth, one of the most influential figures in electronic dance music for more than fifteen years now. Often being a guarantor for stringent and hard Techno as a producer, Beyer proves his musical complexity as a DJ with an energetic tour de force between hypnotic-percussive Tech House, Dub and Acid, and finally surprises the listener with a distinct affinity to meaningful vocal samples. With some brilliant tracks from Function, Radio Slave, Joel Mull, Paul Ritch, Jesper Dahlbäck and, first and foremost, with Beyer's collaboration with Alan Fitzpatrick ("Human Reason"), the sweat is most certainly going to be pouring over the dancefloor.

Dorian Paic, Frankfurt resident and co-owner of the record store authority Freebase as well as label head of Raum...Musik, has been an essential part of the Rhein Main scene for many years now and is part of the line up at the Grand Opening party at Amnesia. Those who have already experienced Paic as a DJ know about his matchless talent to make tastefully reduced but nevertheless unmistakeable Tech House jewels tell their own very unique story. With his hypnotic and relaxed mix, Dorian oscillates within an artistic synthesis that distinctively bows to the roots of Minimal Techno, and the selection of tracks from artists like Baby Ford & Zip, Daniel Bell, DJ Sneak or Daniel Stefanik reveals the true connoisseur. Especially in the consonance of those two very different types of elaboration of modern electronic dance music, the listeners will already be enchanted at home, by this utopia of this collectively created power between the sun, the sea and the sound.

Mark Reeve - Daybreak On Mars

Mark Reeve - Daybreak On Mars

Originally born in the South of England into a musically gifted family, Mark Reeve received the major order to be a DJ and to play electronic dance music when he moved to the Rhein-Main area in 1998.

Mark is now known today as a non stop DJ and Producer , as an artist he has now had his most important releases on cult label Defected with with Düsseldorf-based Tapesh, solo on Traumschallplatten (sep 2011), for Monique Musique or Neurotraxx - Marks Tracks are always a mixture between dancefloor moovers including groovy rhythms and big baselines.

In his Cocoon debut, Reeve presents himself in all his stylistic bandwidth: “Daybreak” combines a highly-functional tribal bass pumping station with such mighty dub chords that make the sun shine even in in the most remote corner of the club, while “Morning On Mars” gives priority to the hypnotic effect of percussion. Finally, the digital bonus track “Lichtkleid” and its central organ motif makes no secret of Reeve’s enthusiasm for that dirty House sound in the Nineties. Mark Reeve is definitely a name to remember in 2011!

Chris Tietjen - Sechs

Chris Tietjen - Sechs

Even if no other contemporary music style is as consistently searching for new sound horizons as electronic dance music does: in the end, the tradition of series within this constant development provides us with well-known structures from the house of Cocoon. 30 years of lived DJ culture, 11 years of label history and, after all, already the sixth mix compilation by Chris Tietjen are events that need to be celebrated this year. The 26-year-old Frankfurter is an essential part of the Cocoon family since 2005 and his annual compilation is on the one hand a most welcome definition of the state-of-the-art of modern Tech-House, and on the other hand shows his own personal development from the promising Rhein Main newcomer to one of the most influential DJs in Europe.

In the true sense of Cocoon's publicised aesthetics of the DJ as a mediator of visions apart from the Sync button, Tietjen starts out for a journey through the last 12 months of Cocoon Recordings. And, once again, the acoustic cornucopia is full to bursting, containing tracks by Loco Dice, Dubfire, Phil Kieran, Christian Burkardt and many more: from the Pop Ambient of Fabric resident DJ Arnaud Le Texier ("Elusanes" Beatless Version), Tietjen dives into the depths of Dub with Moritz von Oswald's "Cocoon Dark Dub" before the Vision Quest remix of Dinky's "Acid In My Fridge" sets the signs – careful but unmistakeably – to a more club-esque format. What follows is yet again a tour de force through modern Techno where anything goes, from percussive reduction (Johannes Heil "The Ace - Butch Remix"), noise-heavy Deep Tech House (Maetrik "Snorkel"), winding and harmonic Detroit Techno (2000 And One "Tropical Melon - Tim Green Remix") up to an almost Balearic emotion overflow towards the finale (Chymera "Pump"; Johannes Heil "Twentythree") – a picturesque and more than inspiring kaleidoscope of modern electronic music.

Various Artists - Eleven Years Cocoon Recordings – Selected Remix Works Part 01

Various Artists - Eleven Years Cocoon Recordings – Selected Remix Works Part 01

The Eleven is – numerologically speaking– definitely not a lucky number in the Western culture. It exceeds perfection just by one and thus represents the number of excess and sin in Christian mythology; that's why apocalyptic events always start in the eleventh hour. However, those who followed the output of the most successful German label for electronic dance music since 2000 to date are aware of the fact that Cocoon's aim is rather the further development of sound instead of sticking to nostalgia, or portentous "Omen".

Against this background, it may be a temporal coincidence but also totally logical that, on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary, this compilation breaks with traditions which people have come to like. Of course, it was a point of honour for Cocoon to release the most important remixes on a total of three vinyls, accompanying the CD release. "Vinyl is THE medium for everybody who sets high values on good sound. That's why vinyl is still the Champion's League for me and I will continue supporting and releasing it!" (Sven Väth)

The last "Distant Shores"-EP of Croatian mastermind Petar Dundov is described by Groove Magazine as "a sensual explosion of sound and light from a distant star". That's exactly where he continues with his remix of Extrawelt's "Titelheld": over twelve minutes, Dundov extracts a captivating quintessence from the multi-ply melodies and hypnotic rhythms, and so this track can confidently be seen as one of the emotional moments of glory of Techno in the current decade. Subsequently, the Scottish "Consumed" producer Gary Beck unfolds presumably the mightiest bass kick on this CD around Pig and Dan's “Deliverance”. The maxi is completed by Amsterdam's Detroit resident Steve Rachmad who brilliantly purges Joel Mull's club hit "Harmonautic String" of 2007. And so, the 11 turns into a mathematical parable of acoustic and rhythmic felicity.

The Eleven is – numerologically speaking– definitely not a lucky number in the Western culture. It exceeds perfection just by one and thus represents the number of excess and sin in Christian mythology; that's why apocalyptic events always start in the eleventh hour. However, those who followed the output of the most successful German label for electronic dance music since 2000 to date are aware of the fact that Cocoon's aim is rather the further development of sound instead of sticking to nostalgia, or portentous "Omen".

Against this background, it may be a temporal coincidence but also totally logical that, on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary, this compilation breaks with traditions which people have come to like.

So, the focus of CD 1 does not lie in celebrating only the "best of" tracks, but rather in nine tracks from the past six years which have, without doubt, made some impact on clubs and dancefloors worldwide, but whose stories have not been musically "told" so far. It all begins with Chile-born Alejandra Iglesias aka Dinky, whose "Acid In My Fridge" from the Cocoon Compilation D in 2004 has ultimately taken her into the top league of producers. Lee Curtiss, Ryan Crosson, Seth Troxler and Shaun Reeves – the Michigan collective Visionquest – turns the musical masterpiece into a marvel of fragmented Dub Techno in a Breakbeat disguise, where the 303 takes over the controls again in the end anyway. Subsequently, Toronto's SCI + TEC ambassador Carlo Lio is pumping a maximum of distortion in Dubfire/Huntemann's "Diablo", while Amsterdam's Detroit resident Steve Rachmad brilliantly purges Joel Mull's club hit "Harmonautic String" of 2007, and the Scottish "Consumed" producer Gary Beck unfolds presumably the mightiest bass on this CD. Actually, there are still many things to say about each title on this CD, showing such great coalitions of Guy Gerber and Kollektiv Turmstraße, Roman Flügel and Martin Buttrich, Tim Green and Argy resp. Paul Ritch and 2000 and One, but at least one of the tracks deserves a special mention: That what the Croatian sound wizard Petar Dundov has hauled out of Extrawelt's "Titelheld" can confidently be seen as one of the emotional moments of glory of Techno in the current decade.

On CD 2, Cocoon newcomer Patrick Kunkel even goes one better – after his phenomenal Cocoon digital bonus mix for "The Sound of the 11th Season" – with an almost 80-minutes-mix made from 20 tracks of the label's history. With Roman Flügel's "Geht's Noch", Koletzki's "Mückenschwarm", Timo Maas' "Subtellite", the Dubfire remix of Minilogue's "Jamaica" and last year's consent track "The Secret" by Joris Voorn, the mix makes absolutely clear how deep the marks are that Cocoon has left in the acoustic memory of the club scene. And as if this wasn't enough anyway, there is massive bonus content waiting: Kassey Voorn & Pete McCarthey's version of Guy Gerber's "Timing", which was the winning track of the Cocoon/Beatport remix contest last year, can't be left out, just as two more "Titelheld" versions by Dexter and Patrick Kunkel as well as a "Tropical Melons" remix by Nick Curly. And so, the 11 turns into a mathematical parable of acoustic and rhythmic felicity.

Various Artists - Eleven Years Cocoon Recordings – Selected Remix Works Part 02

Various Artists - Eleven Years Cocoon Recordings – Selected Remix Works Part 02

The Eleven is – numerologically speaking– definitely not a lucky number in the Western culture. It exceeds perfection just by one and thus represents the number of excess and sin in Christian mythology; that's why apocalyptic events always start in the eleventh hour. However, those who followed the output of the most successful German label for electronic dance music since 2000 to date are aware of the fact that Cocoon's aim is rather the further development of sound instead of sticking to nostalgia, or portentous "Omen". Against this background, it may be a temporal coincidence but also totally logical that, on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary, this compilation breaks with traditions which people have come to like. Of course, it was a point of honour for Cocoon to release the most important remixes on a total of three vinyls, accompanying the CD release. "Vinyl is THE medium for everybody who sets high values on good sound. That's why vinyl is still the Champion's League for me and I will continue supporting and releasing it!" (Sven Väth)

It all begins with Chile-born Alejandra Iglesias aka Dinky, whose "Acid In My Fridge" from the Cocoon Compilation D in 2004 has ultimately taken her into the top league of producers. Lee Curtiss, Ryan Crosson, Seth Troxler and Shaun Reeves – the Michigan collective Visionquest – turns the musical masterpiece into a marvel of fragmented Dub Techno in a Breakbeat disguise, where the 303 takes over the controls again in the end anyway. Subsequently, Toronto's SCI + TEC ambassador Carlo Lio is pumping a maximum of distortion in Dubfire/Huntemann's "Diablo" and finishes the Maxi with a bang.

Various Artists - Eleven Years Cocoon Recordings – Selected Remix Works Part 03

Various Artists - Eleven Years Cocoon Recordings – Selected Remix Works Part 03

The Eleven is – numerologically speaking– definitely not a lucky number in the Western culture. It exceeds perfection just by one and thus represents the number of excess and sin in Christian mythology; that's why apocalyptic events always start in the eleventh hour. However, those who followed the output of the most successful German label for electronic dance music since 2000 to date are aware of the fact that Cocoon's aim is rather the further development of sound instead of sticking to nostalgia, or portentous "Omen". Against this background, it may be a temporal coincidence but also totally logical that, on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary, this compilation breaks with traditions which people have come to like. Of course, it was a point of honour for Cocoon to release the most important remixes on a total of three vinyls, accompanying the CD release. "Vinyl is THE medium for everybody who sets high values on good sound. That's why vinyl is still the Champion's League for me and I will continue supporting and releasing it!" (Sven Väth)

Paul Ritch, the Paris-based Resopal artist who established his reputation from 2007 on with a number of releases on Resopal, Get Physical Music (Fortuna, June), Fumakilla (Back to the Time), Paradigma Musik (Higher) and MiniSketch (Nordbanhof), starts off this EP with a stunning remix of 200 And One's 2006 smash hit "Tropical Melons", and Tim Green – who was nominated in three categories at the "Best of British" Awards in 2010 and won the category "Best Breakthrough Producer" – finally puts the icing on the cake of Cocoon's anniversary remix collection with an extremely well crafted remix of Argy's "Unreliable Virgin".

Maetrik - Crush On Me

Maetrik - Crush On Me

Maetrik's Cocoon debut "Snorkel" on the 7th edition of the 10" series belongs without doubt to the most successful tracks of the past year and is an essential track in the clubs since then, thanks to its matchless mixture of powerful Deep House and Noise.

Eric Estornel aka Maetrik is, however, definitely not a newcomer. With a large number of releases on such prestigious labels from the likes of Treibstoff from Cologne, Dumb Unit and Steve Bug's Audiomatique platform, the Texan-born and now resident of Valencia has proven to be one of the most reliable protagonists at the interface between straight Dark House, Dub and funky Techno.

Estornel's aim was to stick to this recipe when he made his his first Cocoon solo maxi: "Crush On Me" and "Push" are two absolute masterpieces and are representative for Estornel's unique style, using hallucinogenic vocals, hypnotic beats and a power that is deep and latently noisy at the same time to put the dancefloor over the edge of insanity. With his third album "Life Index", released on the London-based label Crosstown Rebels, and with other releases on Guy Gerber's Supplement Facts platform and on Get Physical, this spring seems to be totally under Estornel's sign.

Arnaud Le Texier - Elusanes

Arnaud Le Texier - Elusanes

It's now more than 20 years that Arnaud Le Texier started his DJ career in the West of France and in the Paris club scene. Since he moved to London five years ago, Le Texier has been able to put his stamp on the European Techno scene, being label head of Safari Electronique and resident DJ at Fabric.

His debut EP for Cocoon Recordings is borne by Le Texier's deep understanding of melancholy melodies; especially "Elusanes" with its piano keystrokes coming directly from the basement and the ample Detroit strings proves with hymn-like intensity that deep sensuality and unquestioning dancefloor ecstasy can be two sides of the same medal. Besides a beat-less version of "Elusanes", the hypnotic "Nightleads" with its bass guitar theme does already whet your appetite for the next sunrise in the Balearic dunes.

Jacek Sienkiewicz - On The Road

Jacek Sienkiewicz - On The Road

Hectic times require adequate measures. Shorten the text message, shorten any URL, filter a newsfeed to make a broadband broader - in any way, take a shortcut wherever you intend to go. While the world is struggling for convenience, those who chose the road less travelled will soon become - or already are? - outsiders.

In many ways this is the case of Jacek Sienkiewicz - with over 30 releases behind, and over a decade of running his own label, he persistently followed his very own path, creating music that very soon began to be impossible to define. Friendly, but not fraternizing with everyone and his family, modest, but stubborn only in a positive way, Jacek is an individual with clear, personal vision and an unorthodox approach to music - light years away from the hectic, utilitarian ethos of club-derived electronic beats.

And this story finally took shape - at the same time rock solid and otherworldly ethereal - in the form of "On the Road", without any doubt one of the few rare records, this complex and challenging, to be derived in recent years from the music formerly known as techno. This album successfully attempts to embrace virtually all aspects of modern electronic music - from rave-like club bangers, through Detroitish passion and deep house-like style, towards ambient soundscapes that are Mariana Trench deep. Although "Departure" and "Arrival" are clearly marked, in fact this is a journey without a beginning or end, an endless peregrination in search of the lost chords, primal rhythms and melodies coming supposedly from another world. "On the Road" is also another collaboration with Cocoon - starting with "Téchnè", through the memorable "Displaced", the cycle is now completed with one of the most experimental albums to appear on Sven Väth's label to date. This record is not easy and is definitely demanding attention - but it's also rewarding like no other.

"On the Road" encapsulates Jacek's journey to date - and is by no means its closing chapter. Quite the contrary - it's a blueprint for an even more advanced attempt to create a truly timeless piece of art without denying its obvious, energetic and joyful roots. This is proper music - full of energy, life, impossibly complex yet light as a feather, dense, thought-provoking and playful at the same time. Balancing between dirty noises and angelic melodies it is still moving and at times simply breath-taking. From the opening drone, in a second turned into a whirlwind of sounds and noises, via robotic fanfares for the common traveller and muscular bass-driven anthems for still non-existent dancefloors, towards ambient-like bliss - we hear a mature, totally original musician, an artist with the one and only approach to a sound that is both perfectly clear - and amazingly multi-layered.

"On the Road" took several years to complete - but as a whole, for the keen listener will surely bring years of amusement, as new sounds, voices and brilliantly clever arrangement patterns are revealed with each new listen. It's not Detroit nor Santiago, not Sheffield nor Berlin, it's not even the sound of Jacek's home town of Warsaw - this is the real music of the spheres.

Jacek Sienkiewicz - On The Road Again

Jacek Sienkiewicz - On The Road Again

With over 30 releases behind and over a decade of running his own label, Jacek Sienkiewicz persistently followed his very own path, creating music that very soon began to be impossible to define. Friendly, but not fraternizing with everyone and his family, modest, but stubborn only in a positive way, Jacek is an individual with clear, personal vision and an unorthodox approach to music - light years away from the hectic, utilitarian ethos of club-derived electronic beats.

"On the Road EP" is the preliminary 12" for the homonymus album which is another collaboration with Cocoon. The cycle is now completed with one of the most experimental albums to appear on Sven Väth's label to date. This record is not easy and is definitely demanding attention - but it's also rewarding like no other. New sounds, voices and brilliantly clever arrangement patterns are revealed with each new listen. It's not Detroit nor Santiago, not Sheffield nor Berlin, it's not even the sound of Jacek's home town of Warsaw - this is the real music of the spheres.

Ilario Alicante, youANDme - Balance / Raw

Ilario Alicante, youANDme - Balance / Raw

The eighth edition of Cocoon Recordings' 10" series leads us to Berlin, where Martin Müller and Daniel Stroeter are working under the alias youANDme as DJs, label managers and producers for labels such as Rotary Cocktail, 2020Vision and Compost for more than 15 years now. "Raw" is the ultimate soundtrack for the very special acoustic comprehension both musicians have in setting an absolute imperative on the dancefloor by constantly rising noise levels, but without ever neglecting the funk.

Living in Berlin for only a short time, 23-year-old Ilario Alicante from Tuscany / Italy has made his appearance by releasing records for Cécille, Break New Soil or SCI+TEC over the last three years; especially "Vacaciones en Chile" was an essential part of the club summer 2008. "Balance" purifies modern house music down to its essences, using a 2-minute break with a central organ theme to keep your synapses tightly clenched before a massive bass kick unlocks the tension. Just a perfect acoustic devotement to the balance of the raw.

Daniel Stefanik - Nocturnal

Daniel Stefanik - Nocturnal

Together with Matthias Tanzmann and the 'Freude am Tanzen' crew, Daniel Stefanik belongs to the most reliable initiators of electronic dance music in East Germany. The fact that the readers of Groove Magazine have voted Daniel one of the best newcomers in 2010 – despite his more than 75 releases on Mobilée, Statik Entertainment, Moon Harbour or Dessous – may be due to his fantastic remix of the Ubertrack "No Worries", that has been played, together with Butch's original version, on literally every deck between Ibiza, Frankfurt and London in the past months.

"Night Watch", the title track of Stefanik's Cocoon debut, is another true manifesto for the bass drum, which repeatedly jumps to the track's front relentlessly within the nine minutes playtime, rising from mysterious breaks, percussive beat fabrics and melancholic harmony intermezzi. The flip side "#2" finally receives its very special energy from the rhythmic salvation of the steadily increasing snares, it's a phenomenal "drum dance" in the true sense of the word and another proof for the fact that maximum acceleration can also derive from reduced aesthetics.

Christian Burkhardt - Stopover Goa

Christian Burkhardt - Stopover Goa

It is obvious to attentive observers of the electronic dance music scene that, over the last few years, the Rhein Main region has developed into a true Mecca of that modern definition of House which is well able to build highly inspirational sound bridges between the abstraction of Minimal Techno and the Funk in US House music. One of the pioneers of this movement is the Heidelberg-born Christian Burkhardt, who now lives in Frankfurt. With his releases on Oslo and Raum...Musik., as a part of the La Peña Collective and with his album "Revolver", which he produced together with Einzelkind in 2010, he has created permanent musical values.

Burkhardt's debut on Cocoon, "Stop Over Goa" is even better: percussive Funk, powerful hand claps, some Wild Pitch Acid and alienated Adrenaline-Diva vocals are causing a massive dancefloor mobilization which would even make Matt Edwards aka Radio Slave envious. In a less obvious way, "Chanel" is hypnotizing the listener with vibrating form of tribal House reduction that cultivates statically charged energy states over almost nine minutes. Rarely did modern House music sound equally complex and clearly structured.

Psycatron, Paul Woolford - Thunder / Cloud 9

Psycatron, Paul Woolford - Thunder / Cloud 9

With their first co-production, DJ / producer Paul Woolford and the Irish-born producer team Paul Hamill and Dee Lievense aka Psycatron deliver the prove that UK Techno has not lost any of its energy or visionary power in the year 2010. After releases for Carl Craig's Planet E label and R & S (Psycatron) resp. 2020 Vision or Renaissance (Paul Woolford), the two tracks on the "Thunder" EP are consequently moving to the next level.

"Thunder" impresses with extremely dynamic drumming and always changing percussion patterns; a rhythm body that is constantly in motion and will be enlightening every single dance floor with its hypnotic power dub. "Cloud 9", however, is stepping back at first and stresses an explicit chord techno structure - despite its solid pumping elements - before integrating some Noise Rave signals following the epic break after some 5 minutes, as it was totally naturally and thus letting the whole floor blast off. With such joy of telling and the eagerness to experiment in a musical way, you are really looking forward to the winter club season 2010/2011!

Johannes Heil - Loving Remixes

Johannes Heil - Loving Remixes

An essential part of the German Techno scene for more than fifteen years now, Johannes Heil is now in better shape than ever. With his eighth studio album "Loving", Heil draws both a modern and traditional balance of his life from and for the music, and thus sets one of the undisputed musical highlights this year. With this exclusive remix package, Cocoon Recordings is even topping that one: the Mainz-born Bülent Gürler aka Butch is known as one of the most versatile German Tech House producers, at least since his club smasher "No Worries". In his version of "The Ace", the perfect open air hymn for the modern House generation is emerging from a flute-like summer harmony. An essential contributor to the British Techno scene since the beginning of the nineties is Mark Broom. His Soul Mix of "Loving" combines the melancholy of Detroit techno with Ibiza House dubs and powerful handclaps, forming an intensive homage to the sensuality of the dance floor. Last not least, Gregor Tresher is celebrating the return of the melody with his remix of "Twentythree", after having released some stricter records for Break New Soil and Drumcode.

The digital edition of the Loving remixes is completed by four more revisions, where initially Chinedum Nwosu aka Shinedoe is taking care for "Could This Be". The Amsterdam resident with Nigerian roots succeeds brilliantly in melting organ-focused Soul Funk and the depth of Dub into an energetic Gesamtkunstwerk. And as we are already in Amsterdam: Amsterdam-based Bart Skils massively stresses the bass membrane with his pumping version of "Loving", while Mark Broom is pushing further into the depths of the Balearic Dub surge with his second Soul Mix. With "Seeded", the Cocoon Club House duo C-Rock/Matthias Vogt aka Motorcitysoul is finally exploring the occasionally menacing deepness of the House area with vibrating percussions and disco strings, just in the manner of their releases for Simple Records and Ibadan. After all, love wants to be shared.

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE ELEVENTH SEASON

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE ELEVENTH SEASON

In the summer of 2010, Sven Väth and his comrade-in-arms rambled into the night like wild animals scouting out their trail, impelled by an insatiable desire for life. Only a quick glance into the wild animal's eyes is necessary to make us want to join this adventure. Our inner predator awakes and starts to ramble. The heartbeat speeds up, the hackles rise. We face the mysterious glance of a tiger; entranced we gather on the dance floor. Väth levitates over the crowd, and the party is ready to begin. The party animals come to life. They dance, they scream, they sweat. The beats are relentless, bass lines burst with energy: It is a raw, intensive experience. Yet there is a subtle side to it: sweet melodies and charming vocals seduce us. Inaugurating its second decade in Ibiza, Cocoon has presented a whole new range of musicians, performers, costumes, masks, choreographies and visuals. With the eleventh season, Väth opened another chapter in Cocoon's never-ending metamorphosis: A butterfly of unknown splendor is born out of its cocoon.

Perceived in all parts of the world, the Cocoon parties in Ibiza are a major cultural event. Yet they are anything but anonymous. A night at Amnesia is a personal encounter with Mr. Väth himself. As much as Cocoon at Amnesia is a concerted effort, Väth's artistic vision reaches far beyond the music. Physically present or not, Techno's master of ceremony is a resting sovereign of the blustering wildlife. He is encouraging the crowd to explode in yet another outburst, at the same time never losing sight of the herd. Väth's smile: charming, yet mysterious, inspiring confidence, yet challenging.

Visiting the island since his teens, the Ibiza experience helped Väth to form his artistic vision. The tension between the luscious beaches and the rocky inland being a never ending source of inspiration, he built a stronghold of first rate electronic music on the mythical island in the Mediterranean Sea within the last decade. Cocoon's parties attract the international club music community as well as the island's natives. They are among the few cultural events that fuse down-to-earth partying with sophisticated glamour. It is the place where the easy-jet-set and the actual jet set imbue each other. The virgin looks into the eye of the sage, wisdom and naivety have an inspirational encounter. Darkness turning into light, it is a vortex where you get lost in order find yourself in a new way.

Being a manifesto of infinite transformation and growth, "The Sound of the Eleventh Season" is as well a chronicle of the past summer. Väth manages to melt this season's most ecstatic moments into two sets, spanning over 2 1/2 hours. Having spent the season partying on Ibiza or elsewhere, both discs form a musical diary. Väth transforms this season's records into a very special experience. Reaching beyond the current hits Väth retrieves the profound qualities of contemporary electronic music. Naturally, the trip begins at night. The charming, humorous vocals of Gerd fuse into Chateau Flight's subtle, elegant house grooves. The mood shifts, and Jacek Sienkiewicz enters with uncanny soundscapes and graceful Detroit grooves. The set accelerates with Edit Select's Remix of Speedy J's "Trails", and with the frenzy of Soul Center's "Dyr Bul Scyl" and MMM's "Nous Sommes MMM", it turns into a series of climaxes. Hours fly by and suddenly the heat of the night is gone. But the glittering light does not wake us up. It just puts us in another state of trance, in an ultimate condition where only the music counts. We are captivated be the adorable melodies of Koze's "Blume der Nacht". We lose ourselves in the dub landscapes of Skudge's "Convolution", we are amused by the cut-up vocals of Kabale und Liebe. The hypnotic grooves and mesmerizing melodies of Martin Buttrich's "Song Six" make us finally forget time and space before we are enchanted by the daring naïveté of Plaids "Dett". The "Eleventh Season" might be over, but its experience lasts: The music abducted us into the world of sound, yet it is as bodily and vital as a real physical encounter. Väth's DJing awoke a longing which was forgotten for quite some time.

Egbert - Open

Egbert - Open

Since the overwhelming success of his first Cocoon maxi "Vreugdevuur", Egbert Van Der Gugten has proved that he received the advance praise of being one of the most promising talents of the Dutch electronic music scene with good cause. The myspace discovery of Jeroen Verheji aka Secret Cinema had already gained a permanent position in Sven Väth's record case with his track "Magie" on Michel de Hey's EC Records, and also "Vreugdevuur" belongs to the most successful releases on Cocoon Recordings this year.

Consequently, his follow-up 12" continues to celebrate the junction between European Progressive House tradition, Detroit melancholy, Tech House with a heart full of pumping Energy and decorative ornaments in a multi-faceted and tremendously charming way. And so, Egbert sets his first exclamation mark with "Open", a sensual Über-Track whose incredibly beautiful break sends one shiver after the other down your spine. "Strak" is similarly vibrating of sonic-electric energy around a percussive staccato of bells and a heartbreaking layer of sound.

Gavin Herlihy - Stand For Something

Gavin Herlihy - Stand For Something

In the last years, Gavin Herlihy has come around quite a bit. The Irish-born had moved from London to Berlin, he was the voice of a well-known podcast radio in Ibiza and now lives in Leeds. Obviously, his residences in London and Berlin have impressed him musically. After his 12" debut "Machine Ate My Homework" on Sasse Lindblad's label Moodmusic in 2006 has come down like a bomb not only in Europe but also in Japan, he attracted attention over the years with releases on Cadenza and Buzzin' Fly and, last not least, he was responsible for the very first Cocoon-10" ("Collect"). So it was time for him to deliver a more comprehensive musical business card on Cocoon.

"Reality Maybe" presents Herlihy unfamiliarly housy with compressed percussive funk and an extremely distinctive bass line so that the subwoofer membranes will have a hard job to do. With its organ hook line and the programmatic vocals, "Stand for Something" adds exactly those elements that form a veritable club hit to that perfected modern House sound of the previous track. This is definitely already one of the absolute highlight-tracks on Cocoon this year. Also "You" shows not a trace of weakness, with its plucked bass and the melancholy Jazz elements, and thus meets Herlihy's high quality standards in between futurism and tradition.

Onur Özer - Clavichordrama

Onur Özer - Clavichordrama

One cannot appreciate the artistic approach of Onur Özer in its full depth without referring to his cultural origins. After all, Istanbul has been a place to meet and to exchange thoughts, not only regarding the trade between the continents, but especially regarding fine arts. So, it only seems consequent that Özer's music instruments a location somewhere 'in-between'. Since 2005, his tracks – and his acclaimed 2007 debut "Kasmir" – are released on the Berlin-based label Vakant and belong to the most exciting music that Techno had to offer over the last few years. No wonder that musicians like 2Raumwohnung and Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan have been counting on Onur's remix talents.

The brilliant opener of his 12" debut on Cocoon Recordings, "Clavichord", takes a Hammond-like organ sound as the starting point for what becomes a hard-to-catch and multi-rhythmic event, where the bass drum emerges not until the track is running already three minutes, forming a sheer vibrating fantasy of almost 12 minutes out of untamed energy that needn't to be afraid of any comparison with the tracks of Ricardo Villalobos, for instance. The flipside "Oval" is drawing this bow further to an open reverb room that houses permanent layer sounds, choir and signal-horn sounds, as well as LFO impulses, before after five minutes the bass drum finally takes you by the hand. Futurist Techno that needs some time to listen to, but can also surprise you with sound sensations never heard before, even after playing the track a 100 times.

The track “Dawn’s Highway” from No. 7 of the 10" collector's series is a collaboration between the two Puerto Rican’s Jonny Cruz & Jojo Lati and Italy’s Simone Montomoli aka Simon Wish. Simon originates from Tuscany, but has lived in Miami for several years now. He is an inherent part of the Sleaze Tech posse around Maurizio Ruggiero, Daniele Campanga and Paolo Driver. Joel Latimer and Jonny Cruz have been friends since their childhood days, they both moved to Miami a few years ago and produce house music together, with a large catalogue of releases under different aliases spanning a variety of genres. The track "Dawn's Highway" features aside from the production aspect a really funky and sexy vocal performed by Mr. Cruz, who just moved to Berlin this summer. For Jojo Lati, audio is part of his whole life. As a professional audio engineer he dedicates his life to manipulating sound or anything else that can be listened to. Their vinyl debut "Dawn's Highway" perfectly illustrates the biographical culture clash – here, reduced percussive Tech Funk in the style of Marco Carola meets nasty vocals sounding like the old Chicago Trax while the sexy-elastic bass line makes the influences of the Florida metropolis abundantly clear... More popular over here, on the other hand, is Eric Estornel aka Maetrik. With his numerous releases for renowned labels from the likes of Treibstoff from Cologne, Dumb Unit and Steve Bug's Audiomatique platform, the Texan who is now living in Valencia has proven to be one of the most reliable protagonists at the junction of straight House and Techno since the year 2000. "Snorkel" lives mainly from its level of tension that is consequently kept throughout the track: smoothly aspirated vocals provide just the right dash of Soul for a hypnotic strong work horse of a track that also repeatedly takes the pressure from the boiler by using noisy breaks. Let's see what surprises we can expect from Maetrik on his upcoming album on the London label Crosstown Rebels in 2010.

Chris Tietjen, Steve Bug - Green & Blue 2010

Chris Tietjen, Steve Bug - Green & Blue 2010

It’s looking really good for the 2010 edition of Green & Blue Festival. The location and date have been established and friends and electronic music lovers worldwide have massively copied the popular date into their agendas. In the end Langener Waldsee is the only location that can compete with the beaches of the Balearic Islands. Full of enthusiasm Steve Bug and Chris Tietjen have released the first official soundtrack, and this is done with a musical exclamation mark!

Steve Bug, Labelhead of Poker Flat and Desseous, has been a welcome guest since the early beginning of Cocoon Recordings, with his CD “the Flow” Steve was one of the first to record a Mix-Compilation in 2001. The “Minimal Funk” lover surprisingly prepared a magnificent House-set of the finer art and starts with an exceptional track at the beginning of his set. Christian Smiths rework of „At Les“, THE classical track of the album „More Songs About Food And Revolutionary Art“ by Carl Craig from 1997, is already now one of the most visionary techhouse tracks of this season and available for the first time on cd. Especially the asychron xylophon-play from Kenny Larkin's "Glob" and the bassline endurance operation "The Light" by the Berlin DJ-institution Andre Lodemann is to be warmly recommended from the 72 minutes of eversparkling moments of surprise.

More than ever the 25-year-old DJ from Frankfurt Chris Tietjen has established himself as a member of Cocoon, with his yearly appearing Cocoon-Mix-Compilations „Eins“ To „Fünf“ he has his fingers on the pulse of Cocoon like nobody else. In his mix Chris remains true to his DJ-style, which is an exceptionally groovy form of reduced tech-house where he creates plenty of breathing space within his tracks. It is not coincidental that the Brooklyn-based producer Gadi Mizrahi starts with a soulful tribal bomb which aims deep and has a hypnotic effect on the dancefloor before Lee Burridge´s and Matthew Dekay´s organic-jazzy „Wongel“ ups the tempo indistinguishably.

However, the encouraged US-House-tribute by Niko Gala („The Pump“) from Thessaloniki, which has already created a furor on Radioslave´s label Rekids and the „Deadly Bees“ from the likewise Greek producer CJ Jeff, causes a totally euphoric feeling.

Johannes Heil - Loving

Johannes Heil - Loving

"To share and to increase the love, to let the soul speak through the music, is a feeling which can hardly be described with words. With "Loving", I want to embrace the whole world, because this journey to the origins of electronic dance music in between Modern Detroit, high tech Soul and House is coming from the very bottom of my heart." (Johannes Heil, 2010)

What time is love? With this question, Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond – better known as "The KLF" – have officially introduced the acid-orientated second Summer of Love 1988. However, the answers to this question might be numerous as the number of people living on the earth. Some think that it is the Summer of 1967, where the Hippie movement had its peak, others may hope for the perfect love in 2525 or maybe the time of love is now, in the year 2010.

Obviously, Johannes Heil belongs to the latter group. For more than fifteen years, he is an essential part of the German Techno scene and – with his classics from the likes of "Paranoid Dancer" (Kanzleramt, 1998) or "Calling" (1999) – belongs to the acoustic long-term memory of Techno. However, in the last few years with his releases for Klang Elektronik, Anthony Rother's Datapunk label and several own imprints like JH Records, Metatron or, most recently, Shit happens, Johannes remained one of the guarantors for musical enhancements. With his eighth studio album "Loving", Heil is taking stock of his 15 years of musical past, in a modern and at the same time traditional way. He uses influences from Detroit House only superficially, the history of modern dance music that he tells is that of music as the universal language between all continents.

So, one can find broken rhythms, combined with African chants ("Hallelujah") as well as a terrific pumping electro bass line and pizzicato strings ("The Ace"), hypnotically dancefloor-binding sub bass runners ("To The Groove") or Samba percussion tracks with marching band citations ("Glockenspiel") and weightless Detroit high tech House ("Freedom Of Heart") – all of them being equally part of the comprehensive vocabulary of... yes, love! After all, love as an emotional condition still feels the best in present tense. An album that could not fit better to the clubs and open airs of this summer!

Pig & Dan - The Ride

Pig & Dan - The Ride

The British-Spanish producer duo Dan Duncan and Igor "Pig" Tchkotoua are frequent guests at the Cocoon Recordings family hotel. With their five EPs for Cocoon and their only album so far, "Imagine", the two have definitely and sustainably left their marks on the map of electronic dance music. Last not least, this is probably a weighty reason why techno legends Underworld have repeatedly drawn on the remix skills of Pig & Dan.

After a short time of silence, the duo is now back with a bang: "The Ride", with its siren sound among all the funky beats and tribal effects, is setting an unforgettable acoustic imperative that is looking in the primetime floorburner direction. And the Insane Mix of "Titan" continues exactly where "The Ride" has stopped, using samba-esque percussions and totally hysteric escalations within the break.

Also with their almost eleven-minute-long opus "Naked Butterfly", Pig & Dan are reviving the times of noise-orientated rave techno, thanks to an angry insect squadron, but they still sound as modern as can be, due to the vibrating poly-rhythm and the felicitous use of Dub's deep-frequency fuzziness. However, Pig & Dan have never before been so uncompromisingly focused on getting all arms up, but at the same time remain true to themselves, first of all.

Chymera, Martin Dawson, Glimpse - Pump / Flying Scotsmen

Chymera, Martin Dawson, Glimpse - Pump / Flying Scotsmen

The sixth 10-inch record from Cocoon Recordings features Brendan Gregoriy aka Chymera on the A side. The Irish-born lives in Berlin since spring 2010, before he was located in Costa Rica and Barcelona. After several well-received releases for Ovum, NRK and Delsin, the cosmopolitan has now raised the bar once again. "Pump" enchants, thanks to an LFO bassline and a steadily climactic harmony crescendo, that are emitting such incredibly positive vibes in between Detroit layers and Dub pianos that you never want to lose these magic moments of sound again.

The flipside belongs to the London House modernists of Glimpse (releases for Planet E, Cadenza und Buzzin' Fly, among others), together with Martin Dawson aka King Roc (also known as one half of the "Two Armadillos"). In "Flying Scotsmen", a dry rotating bass drum is functioning as pure kinetic energy, forcefully melting together the small sound bits in between acoustic guitar, wild pitch layers and disco strings, so that standing calmly next to the dancefloor becomes physically impossible.

Johannes Heil - Freedom Of Heart

Johannes Heil - Freedom Of Heart

You don't really have to introduce Johannes Heil, do you? For more than 15 years, he is an inherent part of the German Techno scene and with classics from the likes of "Paranoid Dancer" (Kanzleramt, 1998) or "Calling" (1999), he belongs to the long-term memory of Techno. However, he is equally well-known for continuous musical development.

With this present teaser for his eighth studio album "Loving" that will be released in Summer 2010, the sound Chamaeleon Heil presents himself more House-orientated than ever before. With references to both classic Detroit Techno and modern high-tech House, "Freedom Of Heart" is consequently committed to the summer, thanks to jubilating strings and piano riffs. Normally, uncompromisingly euphoric Motor City slammers like that one are only coming from Joris Voorn. With its disco bass line á la John Paul Young and organ-accented 'Strings of Life', the flipside "Could This Be" gives you a congenial high-flyer with the urge to get outside. Could this be love?

Marco Carola, Nick Curly - Party Animals

Marco Carola, Nick Curly - Party Animals

For the fourth year running Cocoon Recordings gives a forecast on the upcoming Ibiza Season with the latest in its Summer Mix series. After having such renowned DJs as Dubfire, Loco Dice, André Galluzzi and Chris Tietjen, the Cocoon team were able to play another well-known DJ ace from their sleeve: Marco Carola. The Naples-born DJ/Producer brought Italy onto the map of uncompromising Techno with his strictly ltd edition releases during the Nineties, but is also one of the protagonists of the breakthrough of reduced Techno-Funk, having released on Richie Hawtin's Plus 8 label and his own platform Domestic.Minimal.Noise over recent years.

With his mix, Carola illustrates the perfect party night on Amnesia's main floor in a sultrily and percussive yet always sexy and elegant form of Minimal Funk. In particular, Marco Carola gives a major platform to breakthrough artists, like the Spaniard Kobaalt or the Reisak Corporation from Venice. The mix builds with a constant intensity and his finale has you ready to throw your arms in the air with some familiar tracks by Martin Buttrich ("Hoochie Mama") and Layo & Bushwacka ("The Longest Day", highlighted here through the Audiofly remix).

The second disc is taken up by the superb Nick Curly from Mannheim. Curly has already proved himself with his productions for Plastic City, 8 Bit and Cocoon as well as his own label Cécille Records, which he runs together with Marc Scholl, he is a DJ who stands for the powerful rejuvenation of deep House and his passion for this comes out in everything he does. With his impressively energetic set, Curly demonstrates that soulful vocals and solid, hypnotic house make great bedfellows.

From the off the mix displays the depth of character in Curly’s selection from the percussive Power House of "Get Your Space" by producer team Phil Weeks vs. Krakatoa through the jazziness of Gorge ("Makena") and onto the dubby excursion of Horacio ("Taberna del Funk") there is a wealth of quality on offer here. Butch’s wildpitch style ‘No Worries’ and Curly’s own brand of new disco funk on offer in ‘Keep On’ further add to richness of the mix and by the time you reach the closing bars of Burridge and Dekay’s ‘Wongel’ it is clear to see why Cocoon were so keen to have Curly onboard.

Cocoon have been instrumental in the Ibiza season for over a decade now and this is yet another marker of their constant importance and relevance. It’s also a damn good compilation!

Chris Tietjen - Fünf

Chris Tietjen - Fünf

The Cocoon Recordings Mix Compilation Series is celebrating its fifth anniversary: after Chris Tietjen, being still a youngster in 2006, had compiled the label's best tracks of 2006 on the CD "EINS" and thus offered a review on twenty-two 12" maxis, we are now facing "FÜNF", on the occasion of the 10th Anniversary of Cocoon Recordings.

Every year, Chris compiles his personal Cocoon highlights in a musical cross-section and each time he produces a very unique mix of the best Cocoon dancefloor bombs of the past 12 months. First came "EINS", then "ZWEI" followed, and meanwhile we have reached "FÜNF. Chris, who is now resident of his own night "Loaded" at Sven Väth's homebase cocoonclub Frankfurt, has now put together the best tracks of 2009 and assembles artists from the likes of Egbert, Tiefschwarz, Electric Rescue, Alex Flatner & Lopazz, Tim Green, Nick Curly, Stefan Goldmann, Julian Jeweil, Extrawelt, Len Faki or Yousef in this mix.

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation J

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation J

When the then still young Frankfurt label Cocoon Recordings discovered the long-playing format with its Compilation A in Summer 2000, probably nobody could have, even approximately, foreseen the success story of this series. For ten years now, the cocoon-style declination of the alphabet is a guarantor for high-class and exclusively produced floor burners by the international Techno and House elite, and, beyond that, a reliable indicator for the stylistic bandwidth of contemporary electronic dance music.

And even with the previous editions A to I having set the bar damn' high, the J edition starts with a true musical sensation, as the opener "Cocoon Dark Dub" comes from nobody less than Moritz von Oswald. "Those who – even just rudimentary – have followed the evolution of electronic music over the last twenty years, know about the outstanding importance of von Oswald's timeless classics like "Domina", "M-4" or the whole Basic Channel series. Insofar, "Cocoon Dark Dub" is maybe the nicest birthday present at all, and an absolute honour for our label." (Sven Väth) So, initially, it's the heartbeat of Dub Techno that pulsates through a lonely piano and noise fractals, and club world keeps its breath for a good eight minutes.

However, the Compilation J literally puts out all the stops over the following 110 minutes playtime and shows what modern electronic dance music has to offer in these times. Mathias Kaden's intuition for the crowd and location is legendary, his music is both distinctly ambitious and refreshing, and so is his contribution "Rave Strikes Back". The Dial impresario Pantha Du Prince from Hamburg is celebrating crystalline ice dance ("Bolder"), while Cécille label head Nick Curly, with his sensual Tribal House, is feasting the most compact form of Disco Boogie that one can imagine ("Keep On"). With "SBooty", the Kompakt ambassador DJ Koze, also from Hamburg, is flabbergasting the audience by combining virtually incompatible elements. Improvised horn licks are whirring through a flickering resonating body while the bass kick is filling up the tropic ambient air.

However, the invariably Cocoon policy to always support interesting newcomers becomes visible in the contribution of Basti Grub from the Rhine Neckar area, whose label Höhenregler is well-known for several musical insider tips in the past. "Sick" is ascending into your brain immediately with its melodic high-frequency hook line and mysterious vocals, matching perfectly to the melancholic playfulness of the tracks by Guy Gerber. Deep Dish member Ali Shirazinia aka Dubfire and the Parisian Popof are the ones to prove impressively that you virtually can't go wrong with stringent Hypno Techno and a diaphragm-shaking bass drum. Besides the above-mentioned, the J compilation holds such well-known producers like Loco Dice, Extrawelt, Reboot and last not least long-time Cocoon companion Ricardo Villalobos, whose 12-minutes-long dance on the echo-filled "Humusweg" once again draws the bow to the Basic Channel sound from another side, and leaves much room for own visions in between the pulsing metronome of the bass line. In any case, the history of electronic dance music has not been outtold so far.

Harrison Crump - Deep Down Inside Remixes

Harrison Crump - Deep Down Inside Remixes

At the beginning of the Nineties of the last century, House music was firmly in the hands of U.S. metropolises New York, Detroit and Chicago. One of the most influential labels during that time was the Power Music branch Sex Trax, where the unforgettable "Can You Dig it?" by Mark The 909 King was released in 1994 as the first record of the new label. It was in the same year when Felix da Housecat's buddy Harrison Crump debuted with "Deep Down Inside", an almost ideal blueprint of the Chicago House sound with rather indecent lyrics, Sex Trax in the true sense of the word. The Chicago sound has not lost its fascination in the year 2010, that's obvious in the remixes of modern Techhouse heroes Reboot and Michel Cleis, who have previously released on Cadenza, Below, Buzzin' Fly and Cocoon.

The one who goes first is Frankfurt-based Frank Heinrich aka Reboot, whose almost 10-minute-long interpretation of "Deep Down Inside" is strongly focused on percussive tribal sounds and first and foremost stands for uncompromising entertainment on the dancefloor.

The flipside by Michel Cleis, whose hypnotic "La Mezcla" ruled the last season in Ibiza, is more complex in the depth of its sound: with sensual quotes from a Hammond organ and a lot of sound effects on the vocal track, Cleis celebrates a form of Soul-soaked Techno Jazz, whose perfection and versatileness rather could have been expected from a producer from the likes of Carl Craig. As a digital bonus, the record contains the original version, which has been out of stock for years.

Joris Voorn - The Secret

Joris Voorn - The Secret

For more than eight years now, Rotterdam-born Joris Voorn belongs to the formative protagonists of a musical comprehension that is able to amalgamate the best elements of Techno classics from Detroit with European history of electronic dance music, seemingly effortless. With releases for the Technasia label Sino, for his own platform Green or remixes for illustrious heavyweights such as Robert Babicz, Alexander Kowalski and Slam, Voorn belongs to those ambassadors of deep, uplifting, perfectly produced but still constantly energetic Tech House, that have set standards.

No surprise that regularly, Voorn and his releases have been and still are permanent guests in the record cases of DJ icons like Laurent Garnier, Carl Craig or Sven Väth. This doesn't look different when it comes to "The Secret", as the one-sided EP is spinning on Väth's turntable already for weeks now. Once more, Voorn is enchanting us with futuristic Disco Tech and a bass line with such an amazing pull that it almost reminds of Carl Craig's masterpiece "Throw". Booked your flights to Ibiza yet?

Ahmet Sisman, Johannes Heil, Heiko M/S/O - Hey Now / You Should Know

Ahmet Sisman, Johannes Heil, Heiko M/S/O - Hey Now / You Should Know

Over the last two years, Ahmet Sisman has become one of the most interesting newcomers within the German Techno scene. His music is located at the junction between Turkish roots and western post-modernism, but still always succeeds in orchestrating the dark energy of the night, too. Consequently, his last EP "Hit Me Low" (Dumb Unit) could be found in the charts of Tiefschwarz and André Galluzzi, and the percussive masterpiece from '98 "Buiya" belonged to Sven Väth's most popular tracks of the Ninth Season last year.

"Hey Now", Sisman's debut for Cocoon Recordings, is not hiding his passion for the Chicago Trax sound, but supplements an incredibly deep brilliance of sound by pointed percussions, modular Acid and lots of echo reverb. The two protagonists of the flip side, however, don't need any introduction: for more than 15 years now, Johannes Heil is an essential part of the German Techno community. With classics like "Paranoid Dancer" (Kanzleramt, 1998) or "Calling" (1999), he belongs to the musical long-term memory of Techno but beyond that, he always was a reliable guarantor for musical development, too.

The same is true for Heiko Schäfer aka Heiko M/S/O, who is DJ, club promoter and producer (e.g. for Pascal FEOS ("Our Music", Ongaku 1995) and Atom Heart ("Mihon #3", Pod Communications 1992)) since 1988 and thus a very important figure in the Rhein Main Techno scene. Their first co-production "You Should Know" uses the power of percussions, but at the same time, takes a bow before the best productions of a DJ Pierre with some Wild Pitch strings and is thus perfecting the modernisation of the Sound of Chicago.

SIS - Sceam / Break Down

SIS - Sceam / Break Down

In the last time, there is hardly a producer within the field of electronic music who has experienced such a comet-like rise like Burak Sar aka Sis. After his first successful records on 8Bit and Cecille Records, it were his 2008 EPs "Nesrib" (Cecille) and "Trompeta/Clarinete" on Ricardo Villalobos' label Sei es drum that everybody could agree upon.

No wonder that the Berlin resident was able to reach the top positions in the categories Best Producer and Best Track in both the Groove Mag as well as in the Raveline Magazine. The mixture of hypnotic reduction and the high recognition value of his sound are fitting perfectly to the label programme of Cocoon Recordings, and thus it is not surprising at all that Sar is able to prove his qualities here, too.

"Sceam" is a trip through vocal-like echo chambers that is losing itself within the depth of reverb, its oriental aesthetics being similarly credible as the tidy bass beat is. Nobody else has catapulted Baby Ford's ifach sound into the year 2010 as consequently as Sis did. The flipside "Break Down" is a little more hesitating, a dazzling and percussive Dub-House sensuality from the infinite loop, that makes you look forward to the first album, which is to be released on the artist's own label Cocolino.

Marc Marzenit - Maya & Tulku

Marc Marzenit - Maya & Tulku

he Catalan DJ Marc Marzenit is not a stranger to observing watchers of the Cocoon releases in such way that his track "Not Assigned", which has been released on John Digweed's Bedrock label, was one of the special highlights on Sven Väth's review of the 10th season in Ibiza. The classically educated musician, who lives about 140 km west of Barcelona, has left his unmistakable marks in the electronic music scene in Spain, not least with his Paradigma label that has been founded four years ago. "Maya Colors" is a paradigm for Marzenit's understanding of modern Techno.

Compressed percussions, densified to the essence, and deep bass lines fill the room with a self-vibrating movement. A similar approach to this has also "Tulku", its LFO bass line massaging your abdomen for more than ten minutes before an oriental-like modulation loop is milling itself into your synapses. With its bone-dry bass drum, "Motor", on the other hand, opens a gate to a novel perspective for classic Dub Techno.

Dinky - Musica Libre

Dinky - Musica Libre

Alejandra Iglesias aka Dinky, born in Chile, is not a stranger to the scene, especially since her sensational 12" for Cocoon Recordings "Acid In My Fridge". Since 2005, she runs her own label Horizontal, where she releases – besides her own, often experimental tracks – music from Matthew Styles, Jambi, Andres Bucci and more. In February, her long-awaited first Mix-CD for Cocoon Recordings is to be released.

"The mix is rather a non-conventional mix, as there are many unreleased tracks from friends and artists that I deeply admire, like Bruno Pronsato, Matthew Styles and The Mole, as well as some tracks from ladies I really love musically, like Nina Kraviz, Laverne Radix or Deniz Kurtel who provide an extra feminine touch to the Mix-CD. I also assmbled different styles, so it is like a three-hour-set condensed to one hour.

The idea is to show as much freedom in dance music as possible, the mix is not solely intended for the club or a big room but is focused on the most intimate club, afterhour and warm up moments with a strong emphasis on atmosphere. Emotion, feminity and depth are very important for me as an artist. I also try to keep the mix very modern, almost avant garde and visual, with new sounds and cutting edge tracks but without missing the club groove.

As DJs, we usually feel we need to please hundreds or thousands of people in a club or at festivals. We have the pressure to make the ravers dance, scream and raise their hands frantically. Of course , we are in the club to party – but I feel and wish that sometimes we would try to be more brave and show the other side of the coin, which I will try to do with this project.

This 'rave alarm pressure' is limiting us too much as artists and keeps us afraid of playing the most challenging, deep and beautiful music, as we are afraid of losing the floor. I wanted to get rid of this fear on this mix and show another side of dance music."

Phil Kieran - Blood Of Barcelona / Never Ending Mountain Remixes

Phil Kieran - Blood Of Barcelona / Never Ending Mountain Remixes

With a well-earned remix refill, Cocoon Recordings is taking a bow before the Belfast-born DJ and producer Phil Kieran, whose "Shh" album from last year, like rarely another album release, was able to proof how fresh, futuristic and complex modern Techno can sound. The record starts with the Berlin-based duo Pan-Pot, which had releases on Ware, Mobilée, SCI+TEC and Sender, and turns "Blood of Barcelona" into a subsonic work horse that sends shivers down the spine fans of reductionist Techhouse á la Dubfire and Radio Slave.

Also the Dutch newcomer talent Egbert van der Gugten ennobles his remix with a comparably hypnotic bass line, but lets his track drift into the sunrise with Dub elements and a choir layer so beautifully that you indeed wish for an endless loop here. The same track is reworked by Patrick Kunkel - Cocoon's head of digital distribution - over nine and a half cliff-hanging minutes somewhere between harmonic ostinato sounds and pumping Techdub Guy-Gerber-style.

"Playing With Shadows" has been remixed by Kevin Gorman and Ingo Boss deals with "Blood Of Barcelona", just as Pan-Pot. The sextet is completed by Matador's digital-exclusive remix of "Dirt", a track with distorted cellar noises and an unmistakable plucked bass, that is always carried by an organic warmth, in spite of all surprising noises and sounds. That's how versatile Techno can be in 2010.

Markus Fix, Sven Tasnadi - Dark Side Of Bo / Nordsee

Markus Fix, Sven Tasnadi - Dark Side Of Bo / Nordsee

After part 3 of Cocoon's 10" series, which was focussing on the British Techno scene, we now return to Germany with the fourth EP. The Frankfurt-born Markus Fix grew up at the decks of Helium bar, is now at home behind the decks of cocoonclub Frankfurt and has been providing us with his innovative reinterpretation of House on labels such as Cecille and Oslo for the last three years. His Cocoon debut is entitled "The Dark Side Of Bo" and starts with a puristic, extremely fat bass line pulsing through the room like an externalised heartbeat that makes it impossible for your body to remain still.

The B side belongs to the 32-year-old Leipzig resident Sven Tasnadi. Having been affected by Chicago Acid, Tasnadi belongs to the inner circle of the Moon Harbour family and made a name for himself with hand selected tracks on Liebe*Detail or Smallville. His flipside "Nordsee" enchants with hypnotic Dub Techno with a tribal touch and obscure train-station-like background sounds, a journey right through the heart of the night!

Electric Rescue - My Inner Colors EP

Electric Rescue - My Inner Colors EP

What a beautiful noise! With his second EP for Cocoon Recordings, Antoine Husson aka DJ D'Jedi continues where he had stopped with his "The Devil's Star"-EP in 2009. The experience of the Paris-born producer, who has worked for renowned labels such as F Comm, Communiqué, ELP Medien and Paul Nazca's label Scandium (where he also released his debut album "EL.UE" four years ago), is obvious, being resident DJ at the Paris icon club Rex.

He simply knows how he could drive a dancefloor mad. Again this time, unerringly, Electric Rescue finds the golden compromise between modern rhythmic textures and powerful rave signals in the tradition of the early nineties. "Crazy Purple" starts a little cautiously, but with its unforgettable, steadily growing noise modulation from minute four on, the track sets an exclamation mark for the 11th Season, already now.

The B side "Bleu Electrique" presents us a mind-expanding span between Chicago-esque Phuture sounds and Acid Trance spinners. As a digital bonus, we get the more Acid-like "Acido Rosso" with a side-splitting slo-mo-basskick the fundament for deep sensual moments at the club, only to blow your skullcap away with a squadron of killer bees.

Tres, Frank Lorber - Uno A Cuatro

Tres, Frank Lorber - Uno A Cuatro

With his album "Jailhouse Rocker" from 2002 being one of the first artist album releases on the then brand new label, the 35-year-old Hessian DJ and producer Frank Lorber is intrinsically tied to the history of Cocoon Recordings. However, speaking of a comeback of Lorber would be both consequent and not thinking far ahead, as Tres is an artist collective being rather entrenched in the Frankfurt Tech House scene.

Besides Lorber, 2Dollar Egg member Eric Besier and Bernd Maus, one half of Gadgets and co-owner of Freebase, one of Germany's most successful record shops, form the trio Tres. After two Maxis for Lorber's nummer label, the three beat wizards are now pumping up the bass on four tracks (two of them being included in the digital version only) to majestic size. While "Uno" with its subsonic rhythm texture is clearly made under the signs of reduction, "Duo" gives a slight foretaste to this year's Open Air season with a significantly more playful touch of harmony and a percussive beat frame.

When it comes to the digital bonus tracks, especially "Tres" convinces as an equally modern and depth-of-focus interpretation of tribal Dub Techno. Lorber is, together with his companions, in any case succeeding once again with a variation of electronic dance music that besides its focus on demanding movements still leaves enough room for nuances and personal interpretation.

Julian Jeweil - Color

Julian Jeweil - Color

For more than six years now, the DJ and producer Julian Jeweil belongs to the up-and-coming electronic music scene in Marseille, cultural centre of the French Riviera. With his "Air Conditionné EP" on Electric Rescue's Skryptom label in 2006, he provided the scene with a true consensus hit, and further collaborations with and remixes for Oxia, Scan X, Danton Eeprom or Sébastien Léger have cemented his reputation as one of the most promising young talents in electronic dance music.

His current EP for Cocoon stands for uncompromising and demanding Techno in its purest form: from the initially more sizzling sound layer in "Color" emerges after two minutes in the first break a hysterically screaming 'saw of sinus', where you almost seem to hear the screams of the people echoing on the dancefloor.

"Amore" builds up more streamline-like in the style of Steve Bug, but: don't panic – you will also hear some really demanding breaks in this one. As a bonus for the digital version, Jeweil is invoking the bass sustainably with "Soho", and with hand claps, subsonic fanfares and post-Acid noises, all the hands go up again.

Alex Flatner, Lopazz - Make Up Your Mind Remixes

Alex Flatner, Lopazz - Make Up Your Mind Remixes

One of the most impressing tracks of the past Cocoon season receives its final treatment with these four remixes: : "Make Up Your Mind" by Flatner/Lopazz the producer duo from the Rhein-Neckar area was an essential part of last year's dancefloor madness. The first to rework the fine tune is Stockholm's music workaholic Jesper Dahlbäck, whose subsonic bass line is setting a hedonistic imperative right in the beginning.

Also Dave Ellesmere, well-known through his releases on Kanzleramt and Intacto, is using the power of Low Frequency Oscillations and thus invents modernistic catching Dub Techno for 2010. With an explicitly percussive version, the Space DJ institution Steve Lawler is showing that visionary Techno in Ibiza can not only be found at Amnesia. And finally, ex-Airport DJ and now Düsseldorf resident Sebbo continues exactly where his hypnotic House trip "Watamu Beach" had stopped and is thus making the choice of the best version a true moral conflict for you. From our minds to yours!

Yousef, Tim Green - Come Home / Lone Time

Yousef, Tim Green - Come Home / Lone Time

Part three of the Cocoon 10" series is all about the modern British Techno scene, and the first hypnotic exclamation mark is set by Yousef from Liverpool. After collaborations with Carl Cox and X-Press 2, "Come Home" – which can also be found on Sven Väth's current Ibiza review "The Sound of the Tenth Season" – seems to become one of the most important tracks of the winter season 2009/2010: with a steadily rising crescendo, Yousef is weaving around a "strings-meet-piano" motive with massive reverb that gives the tribal beats a deeper meaning and thus will be enchanting the clubs.

The flip side belongs to London-based DJ and producer Tim Green. He is releasing on labels such as Four Twenty, Sci+Tec and Trapez for more than three years now and his co-production with Emerson Todd, "Exercise", even made it to Cocoon Compilation I. "Lone Time" lives on metal-like percussions that are loaded with adrenaline and once more prove the fact that modern Techno can't go without tribal elements.

Extrawelt - DistTheme

Extrawelt - DistTheme

Even if the aesthetics of the debut album of the two Hamburg born artists Arne Schaffhausen und Wayan Raabe is affected by the attentive observation of electronic dance music over the last fifteen years, Extrawelt is above all this: Premium Techno 2008!

The Hamburg-based producer team has been unmistakably imprinting the last three years' club sound with widely noticed releases on Border Community ("Sooper Track"), Traum Schallplatten ("Doch Doch") and Cocoon Recordings ("Titelheld") as well as with remixes for Gregor Tresher, Minilogue or Alexander Kowalski - last but not least due to an excellent live presence, that resulted in the second rank in the Groove Live Act Charts, even still without the accompanying long player.

Extrawelt - Fernweh

Extrawelt - Fernweh

Even if the aesthetics of the debut album of the two Hamburg born artists Arne Schaffhausen und Wayan Raabe is affected by the attentive observation of electronic dance music over the last fifteen years, Extrawelt is above all this: Premium Techno 2008!

The Hamburg-based producer team has been unmistakably imprinting the last three years' club sound with widely noticed releases on Border Community ("Sooper Track"), Traum Schallplatten ("Doch Doch") and Cocoon Recordings ("Titelheld") as well as with remixes for Gregor Tresher, Minilogue or Alexander Kowalski - last but not least due to an excellent live presence, that resulted in the second rank in the Groove Live Act Charts, even still without the accompanying long player.

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE TENTH SEASON

Sven Väth - THE SOUND OF THE TENTH SEASON

Sven Väth is a DJ. The turntables are his medium of choice. But his fans and followers rather perceive him as some kind of a magician, a spirit, a shaman. Although Väth's work transcends into performance art, architecture and design, his preferred way of communication is music. Techno and House are his inborn language, his most immediate way of expression. Like few other musicians, Väth manages to push his music beyond the limitations of certain musical styles. He opens up towards his crowd in a deep and profound way: Mysteriously, Väth builds an incredible connection with everybody in the room.

The past season was a very special one for Cocoon. Väth has just won the Ibiza DJ Award as best DJ and the award for the best set of the summer for a faboulous back2back set with Luciano. Sven and his collaborators celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Cocoon Parties at Club Amnesia in Ibiza. During these ten years him and his dedicated crew made the Cocoon Nights one of the most beloved electronic events on the island. People from all over word visited the place to celebrate the most exciting musicians of today. A Cocoon season is not completed without the concluding Mix-Album, on which Väth merges all facets of the club sound of today into a double CD. With the tenth volume of the Season-Series, he finalizes the first decade of Cocoon's activities on this very special place. Väth always emphasized the island's unique atmosphere in the Mediterranean Sea. Ibiza can be quite dark at times, is a frequently repeated comment of his. You might climb the highest mountains or travel to most remote beaches, but this might not be it. The Cocoon parties' ecstasy turns them into some sort of modern man's pilgrimage. Väth invents Ibiza as a place where one discovers the delights of electronic music. Väth's journey into music enables to open up emotionally, to our deeper self. Ibiza is the place to leave everyday life behind turning into another form of reality: beauty and madness created by the reality of electronic music.

The Sound of the Season-Series is the most enduring series of Mix-CDs of a single artist. It tells the story of the second decade of Techno and House in ten chapters. The tenth season might be Väth's most surprising mix so far. Not only summing up the highlight of 2009's clublife but also an outlook of what will happen in 2010 - and maybe in the whole new decade. The hitmakers of the zero years are hardly present on this album. In his visionary mode of thinking, Väth introduces a whole new generation of artists, who might accompany him through the second decade of Cocoon in Ibiza. Musicians like Alejandro Mosso from Argentina, Marc Marzenit from Spain or Ilario Alicante from Italy form an international network of talented young artists who have left the formative distinction between Techno and House behind. Some of Väth's Season-Mixes are divided into a night and a day chapter. The new night-mix might be the most subtle and quiet one in the series. Väth does not compete with the new house lovers, rather seduces them with tender grooves and charming sounds. As one of the very few DJs, Väth manages to cover all shades of electronic music: he fuses subtle electronic sounds with epic breaks, tribal chants with futuristic beats. “The Sound of the Tenth Season” captures moments of beauty and madness, of elegance and intensity. And it reaches beyond the musical level: A DVD will be also part of the pack. It documents the second Cocoon that Väth created in the unique place. It contains a 45-minute-long live-mix of the master, a series of interviews containing Sven himself, Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos, Loco Dice and Johannes Goller, promoter of Cocoon Ibiza, as well as a cut of Underwold's live performance and several “Making-of” trailers.

Tiefschwarz - Fall In / Keep On

Tiefschwarz - Fall In / Keep On

For more than 12 years, the Stuttgart-born brothers Alexander and Sebastian Schwarz belong to the most respectable protagonists of an innovative understanding of House music. With their fondness for deep but also demanding House in between tradition and modernity, both look back on a merely endless list of co-operations and releases, where collaborations with Masters at Work, Underworld, Missy Elliott, Madonna and Depeche Mode are just the best-known top of the iceberg.

After their contribution to the "Cocoon Morphs Tokyo"-EPs in 2008 ("Liquid Cherries") Tiefschwarz now rely on a percussive reduction with piercing handclaps and strong vocal samples ("Fall In"). A true pearl of a track is "Keep on", which initially leaves the leading role to the bass, combining it with delayed vocals and surprising noise effects before introducing some organic and jazzy elements in the form of organ and xylophone sounds. Deep and claustrophobic darkness - that's how Tiefschwarz are setting the first standard for modern House sound in 2010.

Egbert - Vreugdevuur EP

Egbert - Vreugdevuur EP

Egbert Van Der Gugten is currently one of the most promising talents within the field of electronic dance music. Jeroen Verheji alias Secret Cinema, whose attention was drawn to Egbert via myspace.com, invited him on the spur of the moment to his parties and his studio last year, and thus smoothed the way for Egbert to the Dutch Techno scene.

After his debut on Lo-Fi Stereo, it was mainly his "Vlammen-EP" on Michel de Hey's EC Records in February 2009, which went down a bomb on the dancefloors and belonged to the basic vinyl inventory of Sven Väth's record case in this season. With "Vreugdevuur", Egbert still tops this and provides us with a musical exclamation mark that sets standards in harmonic but consequently demanding TechHouse somewhere in between Dub, Progressive House and Detroit.

The subsonic bass around the central organ motif will be your companion in between dreaming and dancing in this late autumn, promised! A different sound approach is taken by the flipside "Groots Uitpakken" with its tremendously energetic wall of sound, a nocturnal trip through slow-motion vocal tatters, whose string breaks provide it with an irresistible pull.

Dinky - Simply Devotion

Dinky - Simply Devotion

Like hardly any other contemporary DJ, Catherine Britton aka Cassy is living at the interfaces between reduction and soul, jazzy deep house and geometrically structured techno. And it comes as no surprise, because being the English-born daughter of a Caribbean father and an Austrian mother, Cassy started at a very early age to develop a sense for artistic aesthetics that draws its special magic from the 'in-between' especially. Being resident in Berlin since 2003, she quickly gained a residence at the Panorama Bar, worked as a producer with such renowned musicians like Ricardo Villalobos, Luciano, Mathew Jonson or Swayzak and releases her music on labels such as Perlon, Ostgutton as well as on her own imprint Cassy.

"Simply Devotion", Cassy's second Mix CD after the highly acclaimed Panorama Bar 01 compilation is a proof of her love for Deep House of a different kind, which has – despite occasional flashes of souly vocals – nothing to do with Garage House and Handbag factor. With unhurried charm and a secure sense for the seductive power of House music, Cassy is enchanting us with more than 70 minutes of sensually concentrated sound hypnosis and she starts with an exclamation mark: together with his Ifach buddy Ian Loveday aka Minimal Man, Baby Ford is beguiling the listener with oriental-inspired Mantra House that every mow and then shows little memories of Italo Pop ("Sunshine-Minimal Man Remix"). Anton Zap from Moscow, who released on Uzuri, reminds with his purified form of percussive Dub House of the best days of a Chez Damier ("Spain"), and Danny Howells (Bedrock, London) makes you speechless with his aestheticizing "September", a breathtaking string furioso in the best tradition of Detroit Trance, remixed by Future Beat Alliance. Cassy's own and unreleased track "Magnificent Cat Won't Do" is referring to her Cocoon Compilation H track "A Plea for me" with the kind of electrically charged Minimal Dub Soul that is so typical for her. The final track comes from Miami's House institution and Murk legend Ralph Falcon with his House Mixx of "Whateva", which is eventually abandoning even the slightest trace of restraint, sounding somewhere in between R'n'B vocals and acid reminiscences. After all, "Magnificent Cats" are not only known for pleasantly purring in the sunshine, but may also bite abruptly and strongly in the next moment.

Steve Bug - Look Who’s Stalking / Zero Balance

Steve Bug - Look Who’s Stalking / Zero Balance

For more than 15 years now, Steve Bug is known for influential track somewhere in between House, Techno and Minimalism. With his very good sense for the energy of self-limitation, Bug has set standards when it comes to the Funk of modern sound geometry, especially with his imprint Poker Flat Recordings. Milestones such as "Loverboy", "Monsterbaze" or "Wet'n Dry" are now essential elements of the history of electronic dance music.

Only a few weeks after the release of his fourth album "Collaboratory", Bug even tops that one with this 12" on Cocoon: while "Look Who's Stalking" obviously refers to Steve's close relation to the raw energy of U.S. House in between Chicago Trax and Detroit, using driving hand claps, percussions and nasty vocals, the flipside "Zero Balance" could pass as a vision of how far you can reduce Techhouse to the essence of a bass line. Also here, short vocal loops – besides the fast-moving elements – complete a sensibility that makes Bug's tracks such high quality music for a very long time now.

Secret Cinema - Jazz Me

Secret Cinema - Jazz Me

The Dutchman Jeroen Verheij aka Secret Cinema is now looking back on almost twenty years of experience within the field of electronic music. His first production "Sonar System", which has originally been released on the legendary Belgian label Hithouse under the alias Meng Syndicate in 1990 and was re-released two years later on Music Man, is rightly belonging to the absolute classics of Rave Techno and has antedated the Rotterdam-Detroit sound axis with providing a staccato somewhere in between a piercing snare and an acid siren.

Also, his Motor City Techno diamond "Timeless Altitude" from 1994 is for sure in many people's memory. However, with a total of three albums and a multitude of maxis, mainly for Michel de Hey's label EC Records, he also has caused some sensations and his contribution to the current Cocoon Compilation I ("Kurzweil") was more or less the most ingenious track that has been produced in re TechHouse meets piano & strings.

The title track of this record "Jazz Me", is brilliantly located exactly at this junction of melodic harmony and powerful Techno bass. The concentrated bass kick gets its trademark sound with cowbells, a Detroit strings motif from the likes of Inner City and improvisations on the vibraphone – never before has Jazz sounded more uncompromisingly adrenalinesque! The flipside "Shake Ur Tech-Ass" can be taken literally, purely rhythmic hedonism with intensive bass and the right feeling for suspenseful noise, just like Plastikman meets Bodzin in an overheated basement club 'round the corner.

Phil Kieran - Shh

Phil Kieran - Shh

Phil Kieran has been in the upper echelons of the electronic music game for more than a decade, but is only now releasing his debut album under his own name. Known for rocking clubs and releasing a string of killer twelves, Belfast-based Phil has hooked up with German powerhouse Cocoon in recent times. Sven Väth's label is now about to release "Shh", a groundbreaking piece of work that will undoubtedly gain Phil plaudits across the board.

"Shh" seems to not only reference every sound Phil has ever loved in music, but is formulated in a completely fresh and futuristic way. Listen carefully and you can detect elements of dub reggae, old hardcore like LFO, hip-hop, early 90s electronica such as Autechre/Black Dog and other Warp staples, as well as the futuristic techno that Phil excels in. For the album Phil went back to old sound lab recordings dating back to the 1950s and 60s. Utilising some of these sounds in the initial construction, he built up tracks using a combination of old samples sourced from original and weird places and some live new instrumentation as well. There are live drums, some electric/acoustic/bass guitar and live keyboard playing as well as some choice guest vocalists. "I tried to use all my knowledge from when I first got into music to try and make an album that captures everything I've ever loved about music," Phil says. Phil has synthesized his myriad of influences into one radically beautiful whole: blissed-out vocal samples, space age electro, cavernous bleeps, fizzy technoid 4/4 beats, glistening glitches, crackers crackles, early R&S sounds, warm keys, acerbic bassline undertows, dense echoes, Orbital cinematics and randy robotics all feature, but really this is an album far greater than the sum of its parts. It's very much a home or car listening album, perfect for post-club play, although plenty of the individual tracks contain discerning dancefloor dynamics too.

Cutting his clubbing teeth at Shine in Belfast, Phil now has over 100 dancefloor releases to his name on quality labels like Skint, Soma and NovaMute, and is widely respected throughout the industry among the technoscenti. He's also recently broken into movie scoring, creating the soundtrack for recent Steven Soderbergh film The Girlfriend Experience with fellow Irish compatriot David Holmes. To exorcise some demons a few years ago he created a live techno punk band Alloy Mental, variously melding Joy Division basslines onto pummeling punky T.Raumschmiere-style technoid power-drivers. He also has an impeccable DJ rep that's won him placings in DJ magazine's global Top 100 DJs poll, and a guarantee to promoters that he'll inevitably rock the joint to its foundations. But now Phil has just entered the next phase in his career. "Shh" won't be a secret for long: it's almost certain to take its place amongst not only the albums of the year, but as one of the landmark releases of the last two decades.

Tobi Neumann, Onur Özer - Green & Blue 2009

Tobi Neumann, Onur Özer - Green & Blue 2009

The Green & Blue Open Air on the first September weekend has become a fixed date in the festival schedule for seven years now. Each year towards the end of summer, Sven Väth and his crew have turned the Waldschwimmbad in Obertshausen near Frankfurt into a dream of green meadow, blue water, lots of trees and light installations, ending with a grand final with laser show and fireworks and, above all, being surrounded by music from the best artists that the electronic music scene has to offer. In this year, the second edition of the associated Mix-CD is to be released, mixed by two DJs who are able to revert on both long-time experience and innovation in sound: Tobi Neumann and Onur Özer.

On these two CDs (each DJ is responsible for one mix), the two excellent turntable artists – who, as a team are also known as Sensitiva – are giving an outline of current Techno and TechHouse tracks. In doing so, they don't rely on big names and safe hits only, but also produce some real pearls out of their record case again and again: besides names from the likes of Reboot, Mathias Kaden, Sascha Dive, Tolga Fidan or Daze Maxim, one can also find the young Romanian Dan Andrei, who presents his first international release on the Frankfurt imprint Be Chosen, after having released several records on Arpiar earlier. Also Cécille Records is represented with both well-established artists, such as Reboot, and promising new talents, such as the young Italian Leon. Besides his brand new track "Mare Maris", Onur Özer has also included jewels like Taron Trekka's "Radio Fligg", which has been praised by the German magazine de:bug as "funky, slamming, wide and perfect". In short: an extremely appropriate soundtrack for the upcoming party – don't miss this one!

Len Faki - Death By House Remixes

Len Faki - Death By House Remixes

Len Faki's "Death By House" was undoubtedly the ultimate hit on the next to last Cocoon Compilation H, uniting the Techno and House floors worldwide in a sense of hedonism like no other track before.

After more than one year, OstGut-/Berghain resident Len Faki is now leaving the echo of this conjuration of powerful Jack-House to very competent hands: Drumcode mastermind Adam Beyer, who already has reworked Faki's biggest hit so far "Rainbow Delta", and his Swedish companion Jesper Dahlbäck provide peak time entertainment deluxe. A bass kick that makes the earth shake, percussive Discotech is massaging your diaphragm before the programmatic announcement "House your body to the bass" gives the total loss of control a motto again.

It's even more astonishing that the second remix of the – at least in this country – rather unknown DJ Akihiro Mochizuki aka A.Mochi does not stay behind, regarding the energy level, thanks to a pulsing bass, clockwork effects and a fulminantly growing hands-in-the-air break. No wonder that besides Len Faki for his Figure label also Dubfire is using the services of the man from Tokyo for his Sci+Tec imprint.

Stefan Goldmann - Yes To All / Under The Beam

Stefan Goldmann - Yes To All / Under The Beam

With the Berlin based producer Stefan Goldmann, one of the most interesting border crossers of current electronic dance music is joining the Cocoon family. After releases for Perlon, Ovum, Music For Freaks and Mule Electronic, Goldmann started his pathbreaking label Macro two years ago, proving effectively his understanding of reduced but sensual Elektronika that broadens the listener's horizon with remixes for Pete Namlook or with an edit of Russian-French ballet expressionist Igor Strawinsky's "Le Sacre du Printemps".

On his debut for Cocoon, the skilled phonetician draws a mysterious but irresistible intersection from mild acid citations, dub-infected Minimal House, Francophil sound aesthetics and pumping bass kicks; almost ten minutes of hypnotical and opulent cinemascope broadband House, which should have a special mind-opening function, especially when received open air.

But wait, there's still more to come: "Under The Beam" leads this affinity to an elementary freestyle within a strict beat and pizzicato strings as well as orchestral horn riffs to a playful Furioso that will be unforgettable when it comes to drawing the balance of club life in 2009 – promised!

Extrawelt - Dark Side Of My Room / Trümmerfeld Remixes

Extrawelt - Dark Side Of My Room / Trümmerfeld Remixes

Even if the aesthetics of the debut album of the two Hamburg born artists Arne Schaffhausen und Wayan Raabe is affected by the attentive observation of electronic dance music over the last fifteen years, the "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" is above all this: Premium Techno 2008!

The Hamburg-based producer team has been unmistakably imprinting the last three years' club sound with widely noticed releases on Border Community ("Sooper Track"), Traum Schallplatten ("Doch Doch") and Cocoon Recordings ("Titelheld") as well as with remixes for Gregor Tresher, Minilogue or Alexander Kowalski - last but not least due to an excellent live presence, that resulted in the second rank in the Groove Live Act Charts, even still without the accompanying long player.

Loco Dice, Dubfire - Ten Years Cocoon Ibiza

Loco Dice, Dubfire - Ten Years Cocoon Ibiza

"Ibiza is pure magic and the real Mecca of electronic dance music. This atmosphere should be taken in at least once in a lifetime by literally every artist, no matter if he or she is working in the field of musical, visual or performing arts. For me, personally, the island is already for years a very important place to refill my energy and get new inspiration." (Loco Dice, 2009)

Nobody would deny that the long-time presence of the Cocoon Family in the Balearic hot spot has left noticeable traces in the history of electronic dance music. With this double CD in early summer already, Cocoon gives – just like in the past two years – an acoustic foretaste of what is expecting the clubbers at the nights of the "10 Years Of Craziness" season.

The first CD contains the mix of Ali Shirazinia aka Dubfire. Having won a Grammy as a part of Deep Dish together with his partner Sharam, the Washington-based DJ and producer has already defined the club sound both with own productions such as "Ribcage" or "I feel speed" as well as with terrific remixes for Radio Slave, Gregor Tresher or Minilogue, among others. Right after taking a bow before the forefathers of Dub Techno, Basic Channel ("Mutism"), the mix begins relatively deep and relaxed, before the Berlin-based Fritz Zander gives an unmistakably order to dance, with a 'claustrophobic groove meets xylophone-monster' track ("Keep Focused"). After this, Dubfire drags the hysteria factor adamantly to new ups, using tracks from Sebrok, Rino Cerrone, Minilogue or Tiga. Doing so, he reaches an energetic climax that can hardly be described with words, for instance with the playful sequences of the Sardinian Alessio Mereu ("Attimo Vincente"), the nervously sounding trumpet-fanfare-dub-tech of Paul Ritch's "Split The Line" in Ali's own remix, and of course the () tribal hypno masterpiece by Reset Robot ("Do The Slot") – which was exclusively produced for the CD – only to also trigger highly sensual feelings with Yapacc's melancholic guitar echoes in "Conga De Terre", right before the grand finale of the CD. After all, this very special 'sound-telling' talent is the quality of an absolutely extraordinary DJ.

Somehow less affected by the effects of Dub on Techno is Düsseldorf-born DJ and producer Loco Dice – a steady guest since 2005 and meanwhile official Cocoon resident DJ at Amnesia. His set may be a little surprising for many fans: "I wanted to capture the very special flair of the terrace at the Cocoon nights. That's why I have designed the 70-minute-mix to be very open for all styles and understand this mix as a topography between all latitudes of contemporary electronic music." (Loco Dice) Against this background, Loco Dice oscillates through a highly personal comprehension of House of a different kind. After the oriental-sounding Lessizmore debut of the Cologne-based Ware producer Jin Choi ("Carnivores"), Dice's mix reaches a very hypnotic and warm intensity through Patrick Specke's Wild Pitch connotation "A Bitchual Linestepper" and the terrific playful Tribal Jazz of Haze/Villalobos ("Mellow Dee"). This is – besides the very important tracks by Davide Squillace, Brothers' Vibe or Octave One – also true for the tracks that have been produced exclusively for the CD, such as "Jadajada/Wallshaker" where Reboot & Aaron Carl apply some fresh paint to reduced Tribal Techno Soul, whereas the Danish sound-a-holic Martinez as "Black Mamba" will enter the history of House music, having delivered perhaps the darkest modification of classic House Diva vocals ever.

Alex Flatner, Lopazz - Make Up Your Mind

Alex Flatner, Lopazz - Make Up Your Mind

It's already well-known that Cocoon Recordings is a sucker for tracks that stand out of the usual field of – let's be honest – often uniformly reduced Tech-House, and the past nine years of the label's history have proven this sustainably. And the Rhein-Neckar area based team Flatner/Lopazz are again two hot candidates to leave their very special mark on the summer of 2009.

After all, Circlemusic manager Alex Flatner is rocking the floors as a DJ and producer for already 10 years now, having been releasing for labels such as Harthouse or Black Nation, whereas the Heidelberg-born Stefan Eichinger aka Lopazz has made himself a name with releases on imprints from the likes of Output, International Deejay Gigolo and mainly Get Physical.

Together they celebrate a very funky understanding for percussive Techno, which is setting highly meaningful moments for the primetime, particularly by means of lascivious vocals. "I wanna take you all night long", for sure! And you definitely can't find a better expression for the perfect pounding symbiosis between bass-focused club stompers and economically dosed Pop elements than "It's time to make up your mind".

Electric Rescue - The Devil’s Star EP

Electric Rescue - The Devil’s Star EP

With Electric Rescue, the French DJ D'Jedi, who is known all over Paris, becomes a part of the Cocoon family; he is connected with the development of Techno in France already since the beginning of the Nineties. Despite being busy as a producer for commercials and soundtracks, he always finds some time to release exciting electronic music on imprints such as F Comm, Communiqué, ELP Media and Paul Nazca's label Scandium, where he has released his debut album "EL.UE" three years ago.

With the two tracks on "The Darkest Star", Electric Rescue succeeds in the daring feat of transforming the energy of rave tracks from the early Nineties into the present time without producing an anachronistic impression. Besides a tectonically shaking bass drum, the title track relies on the power of sound, a superlative of raw club energy with a twist of irony, which can set a surprising climax with a steadily rising noise level, even after almost ten minutes.

"The Devil's Dance" is grafting a comparably brute state-of-emergency Techno in a somehow restrained way, rhythm-wise, but is no less effective with its distinctive Acid sound effects. And who said that modern Techno can't use the tradition of Belgian Rave-signal-floor-burners?

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation I

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation I

I, the ninth letter in the Latin alphabet, is statistically the third most used sign in the German language. Even more interesting is the echo of the I in the English language, as there is no other linguistic possibility to define the first person singular that simple and concisely. Therefore, I means also me, the sound-wise definition of the subversive aesthetics of Cocoon Recordings, of inspired electronic dance music of modern spirit and of the dignified follw-up of one of the most successful series of compilations within the context of House and Techno, whereas this edition's focus on House is significantly.

That's why I begins with a personal debut: the Berlin-based producer and outstanding DJ Tobi Neumann, an important part of the Cocoon family already for years, has recently been more active in the background, as producer and remixer for 2Raumwohnung or Chicks on Speed, for instance. With the first release under the name eMT, Tobi and his partner Matthew Styles are enchanting the dancefloor with a warm and organic sound, peeling the summer out of its garment and "Extra Lunch" seems like a reflection on a clear water surface, thanks to small vocal snippets and permanent strings. A great start, especially because the Dutchman Laurens Lanting aka Lauhaus stays exactly on this track with his percussive and Detroit- dubby-style "Back To Ipanema". And being already in Holland: Jeroen Verheij aka Secret Cinema is already a constant on Music Man Records since the beginning of the Nineties and may be also known to some under the name Meng Syndicate. His contribution "Kurzweil" may be the most ingenious track that has been made in the field of highly harmonic House with piano and strings over the last few years. Hands-in-the-air guarantee included!

After this emotional furioso, Detroit's M_nus ambassador Gaiser takes the path of deepness in reduction with his hypnotic Triphouse in "Am I". And this is not the only surprise on I: Matthew Edwards' aka Radio Slave's highly anticipated first track for Cocoon is a glorious Wild Pitch revival with constant layers of sound, a pumping bass kick and an organ, that would even make DJ Pierre proud of. And after his tribal endorphine hymn "Subtellite" from last year, Timo Maas lets you totally lose yourself for eleven minutes in his spacy alarm siren disco funk. Of course, also the tracks by Chymera, Johnny D, Green & Todd or Kabuto & Koji would require a few words. Have you ever been more surprised by a totally un-kitschy saxophone, such as in "Night", the techno-jazz piece made by Canadian Guillaume & The Coutu Dumont? And shouldn't have the xylophone much more often the last word, just like in the melancholy "Dead Room" finale by Hamburg-based Kollektiv Turmstraße? The answers (not only) to this questions can be found in more than 104 (!!!) minutes of amazement, dancing and getting lost within yourself.

Mugwump, Umek - Mindflexes / Pravim Haos

Mugwump, Umek - Mindflexes / Pravim Haos

With the second release on Cocoon Recordings' newly founded 10-inch-series, the label gives a first outlook on the sound that will make us dance this summer. Leading the way is the Brussels resident Geoffroy Dewandeler aka Mugwump, who already cooperated with Spirit Catcher and can look back on releases on imprints such as SSR, the Eskimo sublabel Suicide or Kompakt.

"Mindflexes" is a very rarely heard melange of percussive sounds and vigorous Space-Discotech, which seems to make it rather impossible to remain still. Definitely not a stranger is the 33-year-old Uroš Umek, who has located Slovenia on the map of the electronic music scene like no one else since the beginning of the Nineties. "Radim Haos" excels with a highly effective pumping bass line including arabic reminiscences and impressively proves Umek's special position in the matter of cultivated dancefloor bombs.

Arian - DadapDadap

Arian - DadapDadap

Arian, also known as Arian 911, widely traveled world citizen, based in Ibiza since 1993, is DJ, producer, label owner and Cocoon Ibiza resident since the very beginning. Apart from his regular appearances at the highly successful summer residency at the Amnesia, he is also the local resident of Cocoon's “Nano” parties at Ibiza's legendary underground club “Blu”. Here he has been playing alongside Sven Väth, Loco Dice, Marco Carola, Reboot and Der Dritte Raum, just to mention a few. He has been called “a tireless ambassador of music in Ibiza”, which pays respect to his pioneering work as a DJ and producer. From his worldwide travels he would bring new, by now established musical styles to the island and has been successfully producing music since the early 90s. His first record Sunchild feat. Joanne Shenandoah “Nature Dance” was actually the first release on Sven Väth's new founded “Eye Q” label in 1991.

In 1995, he founded the label “OMM Sounds” on Ibiza and continued producing all kinds of club-, downbeat- and lounge sounds with great success. He has been responsible for legendary chillout track such as Levitation “More Than Ever People” or Over Soul feat. Gram'ma Funk “Universal Unfolding”, as well as club hits like Nosotros feat. Raul Paz “Contigo”, Stereo Pie “Blueberry Pancake” and Nude Club “Survive”. His upcoming releases are two proper productions called “DadapDadap” and “IAYF” which will be released on Cocoon Recordings in summer 2009.

Chris Tietjen - Vier

Chris Tietjen - Vier

Since 2005, the 23 year-old Chris Tietjen is a part of the Cocoon family. With his Next Generation series at CocoonClub Frankfurt, he established one of the most important creative pools for upcoming DJ talents; besides that, he regularly provides the listeners with one of the most crucial musical determinations of contemporary Techno. The characteristic elements of Tietjen’s understanding of DJ skills are on the one hand the stress of intensive bass lines and driving percussions, but also the respect for the arrangement of the individual tracks.

This fourth label compilation presents all dancefloor burners of the last 12 months on Cocoon Recordings in a diversified and coherent mix: Martin Buttrich, Schneider & Galluzzi, Guy Gerber, Tiefschwarz, Reboot, Adam Proll and Timo Maas undisputedly belong to the group of artists who have enhanced electronic dance music in the past year. In his terrific mix, Tietjen focuses on the releases of Swedish duo Minilogue whose CD/DVD album “Animals” belongs to the most successful releases on Cocoon and thus is represented her with three tracks (among them remixes by Dubfire and Tolga Fidan). And when Tietjen briefly reduces the tempo after Timo Maas’ brute Tribal masterpiece “Subtellite", only to continue with the Väth classic (and one of the hits in the last season) “The Beauty & the Beast” in a remix by Eric Prydz, one can definitely get an impression of Chris Tietjen’s skills as a DJ.

Nick Curly - Pujante

Nick Curly - Pujante

Currently, the releases of the young Mannheim-born Nick Curly are an essential part of the electronic dance music scene. With his imprints Cécille and 8Bit Records, he has discovered both SIS and Johnny D. and has thus influenced the scene significantly. Also internationally, Nick is not unknown anymore, he just started his first world tour under the motto 'Series', which is also the name if his vinyl series.
Sven Väth is convinced of the whizz kid, too, and so he invited him to do an EP on Cocoon Rec. and join him for a gig at the Amnesia in Ibiza. The two exclusive tracks on Pujante / New Town Stranger show once more Nick's variety and his sense for groove and soul. The A-side "Pujante" is a strong rhythmic Techno piece that spreads on the dancefloor like a blast.
The B-side "New Town Stranger" is totally different: a more than 12 minutes long masterpiece that enchants the listener just like a mystic story from ancient times, and fascinates him with a captivating voice and a perfect groove.

Jacek Sienkiewicz - All Yours

Jacek Sienkiewicz - All Yours

This year Jacek Sienkiewicz seems unstoppable. Right after his massive single "Beacon" and most recent collaboration with Pier Bucci on his own label Recognition, it's time to renew the Frankfurt connection. It's six years already since "Téchnè", the first artist album on Cocoon ever, and Jacek's third album for Sven Väth's imprint is on the way - now we've got a roundup of both artists' experiments to date, and a teaser of things to come.

"All Yours" starts immediately, and after the very first kick it's absolutely clear that we are dealing with some serious modern techno business here. The track is rolling on the wheels of steel, like an almost impossible steampunk machinery, and by the time the strings move in one will recognize an instant classic. The complexity of shuffling beats, flowing hi hats and percussion sounds is simply breathtaking - but the track never loses its club appeal. Vibrant strings sound simply timeless, and suddenly strange and a bit disturbing metallic shrieks give way to a glockenspiel-led fairytale... One can imagine the imminent destruction this track can bring to a dancefloor, but listening to it at home could also be rewarding - complex, vital and soulful, this is just MUSIC of highest quality available today.

Flip the record for "Connections", somehow deepest excursion into the utmost unknown. Jacek's trademark bells, bongos and cymbals are still present, but the buzzing synths, solid bass stabs and a maelstrom of unidentified voices create somehow different experience. The tracks builds mercilessly, and when the halfway through the synth riff glides in there is no escape - muffled shouts give commands we do not understand, but feel obliged to follow. Once again the artist presents us with a touch of his magic.

"All Yours" is a splendid accomplishment and a refreshing break from anonymous, artificial and formulaic music of today. Jacek clearly is an individual, modestly paving his way through muddy puddles of today's electronic club music.

Deepgroove, Jamie Anderson - Juggernaut / Turbo

Deepgroove, Jamie Anderson - Juggernaut / Turbo

Deepgroove aka Grayson Shipley & Lee Pattison from Bristol have crafted their skills at venues like Bristol's seminal Lakota, emerging with a sound that incorporates a hefty measure of eclecticism within a framework of deep and twisted tribal grooves. Never fearing to tread a different path when it comes to firing a crowd, their performances marry a healthy degree of contempt for convention, to an obvious reverence for the original precepts of House music. Using the 4-deck format, not as a tool for ostentatious displays of mixing prowess, but as a template for experimentation, Deepgroove throw everything at the crowd, embarking on sonic voyages that range from the sultry to the surreal, with the funk never being too far from the surface.

Coming from a strong musical background growing up around jazz musicians in West London, Jamie Anderson also had a love for electronic music and the art of mixing records which has been with him ever since the early electro and hip hop days. The influence of his massive knowledge of music can be heard in his own works, which include distinct flavours of Detroit Techno, Latin Jazz, Chicago Acid House and Electro Funk.

Anderson's latest label project "Fixia" aims to set a new benchmark for the 21st century. Summing up all the elements of the underground sound to a new point of reference, Fixia has unleashed a new burst of life into the scene – with the release of the critically acclaimed “Short Stories”. Expect a lot more in the coming months as the fruits of Jamie’s ground breaking musical talents are released and performed.

The two tracks are somehow in the likes of Switch and Jesse Rose, but much more twisted and turned. Musical influences come from good old Detroit and – for those who still know them: Circuit Breaker and Joey Beltram are waving from the distance. Definitely a possible climax within a DJ set, if you are into craziness and hard partying. We hear dry ice guns and ravers freaking out, sweat, hysteria and total ecstasy...

Backing up this exciting surge of cutting-edge music, the Deepgroove & Jamie Anderson: LIVE show is set to rock festivals and clubs with debuts already planned at Bugged Out!, Loveland and Fabric.

Inxec, Matt Tolfrey, Gavin Herlihy - I Just Can’t (Take It) / Collect

Inxec, Matt Tolfrey, Gavin Herlihy - I Just Can’t (Take It) / Collect

With this split EP, Cocoon starts a new series of 10-inch releases, presenting young and promising talents within the elctronic dance music scene to a wider public. The first release comes from a surprising team: the Briton Matt Tolfrey can already look back upon a small list of releases on Crosstown Rebels and his own label Leftroom and gained reputation as a DJ in such famous clubs like London's Fabric and The Egg.

Together with the Munich-based Contexterrior artist Inxec, Tolfrey convinces the listener with a tight US House stomper, whose hypnotic vocals almost remind of the old Wild Pitch tracks, even though containing a much more contemporary rhythm frame. The flipside remains with the Irish-born former Mixmag journalist Gavin Herlihy, who lives in Berlin for two years now, and had already a veritable club hit with his debut EP "Machine Ate My Homework" on Sasse Lindblad's Moodmusic label. "Collect" thrives from its central motif somewhere in between carribbean steel drums and classic percussion that immediately clings to your acoustic memory and makes every dancefloor swing, under guarantee.

Jurek Przezdziecki - Qwerty Poema

Jurek Przezdziecki - Qwerty Poema

36-year-old Jurek Przezdziecki made his first musical steps as a child on the piano before his studies at the Warsaw University of Arts brought him in contact with electronic music and Industrial. This interesting musical mixture can be followed with passion in his debut on CocoonDigital:
"Qwerty Poema" perfectly combines a competently improvised and electronically distorted piano line with nervous minimal techno, and entirely convinces with a new version of techno that has never been heard before, with clear structures but although a strong appeal to recognizable sound ornaments. With fanfare-like sounds, "By Epoxy In Burnout" puts this musical synergy into considerably warmer contexts, and you don't have to be a prophet to predict Przezdziecki a promising future, given his simultaneous upcoming releases on Recognition Records.

Reboot - Ronson

Reboot - Ronson

It is a well-known fact that tracks by Reboot have been playing an outstanding role in last year's Cocoon Season. After all, the 30 year old Frankfurt-based producer Frank Heinrich already did run riot together with Johnny D., within a sort-of live jam session on the "Disco Invaders" Cocoon Ibiza Summer Mix CD. So, it is even more surprising that the first Reboot 12" on Cocoon is released only now, after releases on Below and Cadenza.

With its tribalistic touch, "Ronson" is rapidly making clear where the journey will lead to: with alarm sirens and discharges of compressed air, Heinrich appears uncompromisingly energetic like never before, but stays maximally pumping and always sexy. Somehow more observant, the polyrhythmic and percussive "Mirasierra" gives the tired dancers a short break, even if the dub-ornamented bass line sometimes creates quite discoid moments of luck. By all means, those two tracks are very suitable for what seem to be the tropical moments within cold winter nights.

Jacek Sienkiewicz - Modern Dance

Jacek Sienkiewicz - Modern Dance

It's been ten years already, since Jacek Sienkiewicz established his Recognition label, and six years since "Téchnè", first artist's full length for Sven Väth's Cocoon Recordings. The Warsaw-Frankfurt connection seems to work quite well, as you are about to experience Jacek's astonishing mix CD/compilation. For the last ten years Jacek was carving his very own niche in this genre formerly known as techno. Paying respect due to the classic masters of Detroit sound, he never followed formulas and classic frames of what was once called minimal techno, instead always working on both expanding and questioning the music we used to know. Be it studio work, his countless live performances around the globe, his collaborations with some of his contemporaries or his work as a promoter introducing some of the world's finest talents to local audience - his actions, albeit always on the side of club mainstream, were always deeply rooted in his very own vision of electronic music as a true psychedelic experience. Hence, the modern dance was born.

As we all know, dance is an art form, referring to the movements of human body. Be it a form of one's expression, social interaction or the extension of spiritual life, dance is most often associated with music. Dance embodies emotions, expresses ideas and generally tells a story. Music is the catalyst. The modern dance was raised out of rebellion against the strict formulas of tradition - and so was the music you are about to hear. Jacek Sienkiewicz has been exploring emotional, physical, mental, communicative or finally artistic aspects of dance and music for the last ten years. Probing and expanding boundaries of classic techno music, filtering Detroit sound through innumerable studio experiments, his music became the way to express his deepest inner feelings and visionary creativity - and this is exactly what modern dance is about.

As the tracks compiled here were originally released either on Recognition, or Cocoon Recordings during past few years. And here Jacek modestly presents his extraordinary mixing skills, applied to his timeless club anthems - driving "Double Secret", hands-raising "Time Starts Now", latest hit "Beacon", "Jeden" co-produced with Marcin Oz/DJ Highfish, or most recent "Eastern Promises", performed together with Chilean maestro Pier Bucci. Add to this Jacek's final Cocoon entry "All Yours", simply designed to set this years dance floors on fire, and closing midnight lullaby "Good Luck" - we come with a selection of tracks serving both as a document of timeless contemporary club music - and, as the modern dance knows no rules and no limits, as the beginning of something new...

Minilogue - Animals Remixes

Minilogue - Animals Remixes

After the "Jamaica" reworks by Dubfire and The Mole, Minilogue haven't splashed out for the second remix EP of last year's smash hit album "Animals" either. The three versions of the homonymous LP title represent, at the same time, the whole bandwidth of contemporary electronic dance music.

Starting with multi-national Vakant artist Tolga Fidan and his highly percussive prime time techno approach, whose oriental imprinting is not cagey about the turkish roots of the Paris-based producer and – with the spoken voice reminding discreetly of Minilogue's 2008 club hit "Doiicie". A completely different direction is chosen by Brendan Moeller aka Beat Pharmacy. The South African-born protégé of NY House legend François Kevorkian on his Deep Space Media label is interpreting "Animals" within a mythical hypnosis of slagged Deep House and deep Dub Techno, somewhere in between Nu Groove and Basic Channel, being one of the most visionary tracks in the beginning of 2009.

The icing on the cake is set by Swiss-Chilean Minimal Groove legend Luciano, who varies sketchy fragmented Tribal Techno with a dry-as-a-bone bass kick and always surprising breaks in the known Cadenza style, which is never a second too long, even at more than 11 minutes playtime. Not very easy to decide for a DJ, but the night is still young!

Minilogue - Animals – The Movie

Minilogue - Animals – The Movie

When Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson founded Minilogue in 2000, it was not only a musical project but also a visual one. From the beginning, the two musicians thought animals to be the front for Minilogue. These animals do not actually exist, they are imaginary animals. As they appear on Minilogue's record sleeves, they merge elements of all different animals together: there is a donkey with a trunk of an elephant or a mouse with the horns of a deer. With "Animals – The Movie", Minilogue's visual world comes fully into existence. The 80-minute-long DVD is created by Hinge Design from New Zeeland and a couple of other visuals artists. Two segments by Kristofer Ström were released as a preview; "Hitchhiker’s Choice" had more than three million views on YouTube.

The film is divided into fifteen chapters. Each chapter has a topic of its own and develops a unique visual style. All parts are connected by a certain theme: the conjunctive concept of the film is the idea of universal transformation and movement, which is represented in the animals. The artists follow the surrealist credo that everything is linked with everything else in a hidden way. The only way to uncover these links is art. With its irresistible synthetic dynamics, the film reveals these secret connections. The first chapter puts beautiful old drawings of unfamiliar foreign animals in a memory game. The game sets the whole screen in motion, the animals become part of an unstoppable transformation. After this initializing prologue, the film starts with a labyrinth of windows. Yet there is no floor, no walls and no ceiling: it is the space of a surrealist image. We enter an old barn, which opens to a large landscape with artificial trees. No entity is fixed anymore, everything becomes open and moving. It turns dark, and the trees are immersed in a thick layer of fog. In a very tense and exciting moment, a very special animal appears: At first we only see the texture of a Leopard's skin - but it is not the fur of a real animal, but the artificial fur of a toy pet. As we get a glimpse on the whole animal, we realize it’s not a leopard, but a fantasy-animal with the body of a penguin, the nose and ears of a pig and the horns of an rhinoceros and it starts a charming dance to Minilogue's elegant music.

Hinge Design emphasizes the artificial character of most of their creations. Nature has to go through multiple digital filters to appear on their screen. Everything is divided down to its tiniest elements, and multiplied into repetitive series. The next chapter starts with the inside of an old tape recorder with an analogue VU-display. Later, many VU-meters form an abstract ballet. Photography and computer graphics are merged into one: as they reach the surfaces of decaying materials, they create synthetic worlds. Suddenly an old British telephone cell appears in a luscious computer-generated meadow. A very special charming naiveté is the key note of the film. The whole imaginary is formed around a certain idea of cuteness. The leitmotif of the film is the ever transforming animal that appears in almost every chapter of the DVD. In Kristofer Ström's animated clips for "Animals" and "Hitchhiker's Choice", it goes through countless re-modellings. In the first film the real hand of Ström draws animal after animal in high-speed, until the colorful lines start to move and develop new forms by itself. In another chapter, there is nothing but a rough texture on the screen and a couple of dots and lines, which turn into a lake and swarms of dragonflies and bees rise.

Yet there are phases without any figure. A night drive through a big city is dissolved into nothing but the movement of the white lines at the side of the streets. Another chapter shows an artificial city reminding one of the staged spaces of photographer Thomas Demand: the facades of the houses are just blank surfaces – the camera rapidly moves through the empty streets. "Seconds (Colour of Sound)" by Jon Baxter is the most reduced clip on the DVD: it shows the sky filmed out of a car which moves slowly. It is so dark that we only see the outline of the trees we pass. This line is formed into repetitive patterns. "The first day of the rest of my life" by Dylan Pharazyn is closest to the techno imaginary of the Nineties: We start in a neutral landscape, pills in elegant pastel colours ascend to the sky like birds.

The rhythm of the whole movie is defined by its quiet camera motions. With its countless images and movements, the films put us in a detached position. We watch the world around us like scientists. This remoteness enables us to experience its beauty to its full extent. "Animals – The Movie" manages to combine the repetitive collages of club visuals with the subtleties of video art. It is for sure one of the most ambitious visualisations of today's electronic music. It will appear as well on the TV in your living room as in your favourite club.

Timo Maas - Subtellite Remixes

Timo Maas - Subtellite Remixes

Timo Maas' percussive showdown was definitely one of THE surprising tracks of the past year and has ruled more or less every dancefloor from Ibiza via London to Frankfurt. Really not an easy job to re-issue this inherent part of the collective club memory 2008 as a remix, without getting the short end of the stick when compared to the original. So, the Rhodos-born Poker Flat- and Ibadan-producer Argy avoided to rebuild the perfect hedonism of the original, but is shining with carefully accented Tech House and a massive, subsonic bass kick, before the recognition comes to your mind with the guitar motif after three minutes.

However, the 23-year-old Argy succeeds in creating a hypnotic remix at its best, which – by means of dubby chants – lets the summer return into the frosty world again. A small sensation is the signing of the second remixer: Sharam Tayebi - who is already Grammy-awarded with the legendary US House duo Deep Dish, together with Ali "Dubfire" Shirazinia - is throbbing through the speakers for uncompromising eleven more minutes, with a bone-dry bass drum, a deep organ break and full dub workload. Simply terrific!

Guy Gerber - Timing

Guy Gerber - Timing

With his new Maxi on Cocoon Recordings, Guy Gerber, our man for the big emotional moments on the dancefloor, will make our eyes shine bright in Christmas anticipation. After releases for his own label Supplement Facts, the club hits "Sea Of Sand", "Belly Dancing" and not to forget, his album debut "Late Bloomers", the Tel-Aviv-based Gerber could be found rightly in top positions in many newcomer listings in the past year.

2008 was a little more calm for him, but with "Timing", being just in time for the final, he again sets new standards in linking harmony with a hedonistic state of emergency. While "Timing" pleases us like a nocturnal-hypnotic romance in between a disco bass line, "Age of Love" flair and winterly sleigh bells, "Guilty Pleasures" takes back this playful love of details to the benefit of a tropical-dense percussive dub, however without appearing less mandatory on the dancefloor. Consequently, Gerber will be playing together with Sven Väth at Christmas Eve in the CocoonClub Frankfurt.

Pig & Dan - Terminate

Pig & Dan - Terminate

With their "Imagine" album, Igor Tchkotoua and Dan Duncan aka Pig&Dan have ultimately climbed the Olympus of important modern Techno ambassadors, this is also proven sustainably by releases on hip labels like Datapunk, Pickadoll or with remixes for Eric Prydz and Underworld. With their sixth maxi on Cocoon, the two Spanish residents by choice are celebrating two intensive peak time hymns in between the past and future of electronic dance music, being probably the most consequent tracks from the Sonic Society studio so far.

"Terminate" shows itself as a true chameleon, hypnotising with reduced bass knocks and an epically long insect noise break that may bring associations of "Mentasm" times to the one or other's mind, and succeeds in surprising with unexpected sound bits, despite its length of over ten minutes. "Organix" comes along more straight: with expectant bell effects and cutted sequencer elements, it's a 2008-compatible version of the hypno-techno that Plus8 was standing for in its early times in 1990/91. And that Pig&Dan are not sounding outmoded in the slightest goes without saying.

Sven Väth - The Sound Of The Ninth Season

Sven Väth - The Sound Of The Ninth Season

Sven Väth's “Sound Of The Ninth Season” is a musical trip trough the year 2008. At the same time, it is an opportunity to let your present activities retreat from you for a moment. Listening to the mesmerizing grooves, you might browse through the memories of the year that be will be over soon. What were its special moments? What did you do that is not conceivable at any other moment of your life? It might be a trip, a relationship, a party. It might be a phrase someone said, a joke, a glance, a kiss – or a phrase in a track you danced to at a party. Rarely electronic music manages to blend the personal and the public so perfectly: “The Sound Of The Ninth Season” is a compendium of the club music of 2008, at the same time its very personal statement. There are moments when every cell in your body is about to erupt, and there are quiet and emotional passages.With “The Sound Of The Ninth Season”, Sven Väth passes his special musical message to everybody on this planet who is willing to celebrate what is exciting and fascinating about life. Simultaneously, its a private statement about what is important to him artistically and socially. It is a testimony about the essentials of club music as well as it is a statement on friendship, love and intimacy.

The two sets could not be more different. The first CD "Disco" is a techno hurricane, which collects the most energetic moments of 2008. It is the most post powerful and immediate vision of the year that you can image. The key note of the set is a track by Vancouver's dance music maverick Mathew Jonson. The “Symphony For The Apocalypse” combines a sense of yearning with the most outgoing and ecstatic hook line you can image. Another very special step in Väth's journey is a tribal track by Ahmet Sisman, which ties acoustic percussions to a voluminous techno groove. This track merges into the most enigmatic and mysterious track having been released on Cocoon Recordings this year: “Subtellite” by Timo Maas. Being a complex montage of countless textures and layers, it forms an overwhelming wall of sound. Yet the climax of this set might be another very special track, “Mismoplastico” by Virtualmismo. The track was originally released in 1992. Blending the sound of organ with the sound of a siren, its hook line its the most surprising and startling thing that could happen after a smart and elegant track by Dubfire.

Although there have been a couple of mind-blowing club hits during 2008, it was not the year of explosive peaktime anthems. More likely, it was a year of subtle deep house grooves and quiet research in the textures and landscapes of electronic sounds. Taking these developments into account, the second set is a labyrinth of tender grooves and sweet and strange sounds. Anthony Collins is letting us drift into snatches of distant voices. Kollektiv Turmstrasse's deep orchestral arrangements even sound a bit like sacred music. SIS seduces the crowd with his suggestive minimal grooves. With his straight, percussive beats, Quenum grasps the dancers firmer. His grip dissolves in a flawless classical house groove by Reboot. With tracks by Sven Tasnadi, Pigon and Microworld the set takes a side trip to contemporary Detroit Techno. Finally, Prins Thomas takes us back to the madness where it all began two and a half hours earlier.

House and Techno are basics of Väths musical philosophy. The fragile difference between these two elementary directions of club music continues to be the motor of his sets. Väth's life long journey through electronic music continues and it brings us an excess of excitement, empathy, madness and beauty.

Extrawelt - Schöne Neue Extrawelt (Album Bonus Tracks)

Extrawelt - Schöne Neue Extrawelt (Album Bonus Tracks)

"It's all about hooking up our music to the emotional world of electronic music at the beginning of the Nineties, however, without falling for nostalgic references. We don't want to do cowardly Zeitgeist Techno, we want to have the heart to dare big sounds and more melodies. Sunrise scenarios, energy, revolution and kaput-ness, all these are parts of the Extrawelt." (Extrawelt, 2008)

However, don't panic: even if the aesthetics of the debut album of the two Hamburg born artists Arne Schaffhausen und Wayan Raabe is affected by the attentive observation of electronic dance music over the last fifteen years, the "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" is above all this: Premium Techno 2008! The Hamburg-based producer team has been unmistakably imprinting the last three years' club sound with widely noticed releases on Border Community ("Sooper Track"), Traum Schallplatten ("Doch Doch") and Cocoon Recordings ("Titelheld") as well as with remixes for Gregor Tresher, Minilogue or Alexander Kowalski - last but not least due to an excellent live presence, that resulted in the second rank in the Groove Live Act Charts, even still without the accompanying long player.

The work on "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" started more than two years ago for Schaffhausen and Raabe. "The initial idea was to present an album covering all styles of electronic music between Ambient, Breakbeats and Techno. When we had 25 tracks for the album ready, we had to realize that this approach did not work for us. Insofar, we finally decided to use the 4/4 bass drum in all tracks except in the little intermezzo "Kurt Curtain". We have tested all tracks live over the last three months and constantly re-interpreted them. So, the 'danceability' is clearly in our focus, but the sound spectrum and the dramaturgy of the titles should not be solely functioning in the club. Our intention was definitely not to deliver an album full of superficial peak time hits."

Those twelve tracks on "Schöne Neue Extrawelt", all unreleased, are therefore primarily representing a pleasurable 'in-between', the organic development of hypnotically compressed dance music that is more than "just" Minimal Techno, reduced Trance or electronic listening sounds of the Warp era – even all those elements have left their marks. From the richly decorated musical-clock-intro "One Tree Hill" via the stereo singing bowl of "Trümmerfeld" to the asian-sounding creaking of "Daten Raten", Extrawelt celebrate a vision of futuristic melancholy with organic detail richness, which is permanently in motion but is nevertheless seeming to be well-balanced. However, in the Extrawelt universe, one gets along quite well with antagonisms. "We have always been polarizing, not only in the Techno scene, also in the Trance scene. Because in the end, "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" - freely adapted from Aldous Huxley - is now not only a big neon-coloured future, but is likewise positioned in the often disillusioning grey of the here and now."

Extrawelt - Schöne Neue Extrawelt

Extrawelt - Schöne Neue Extrawelt

"It's all about hooking up our music to the emotional world of electronic music at the beginning of the Nineties, however, without falling for nostalgic references. We don't want to do cowardly Zeitgeist Techno, we want to have the heart to dare big sounds and more melodies. Sunrise scenarios, energy, revolution and kaput-ness, all these are parts of the Extrawelt." (Extrawelt, 2008)

However, don't panic: even if the aesthetics of the debut album of the two Hamburg born artists Arne Schaffhausen und Wayan Raabe is affected by the attentive observation of electronic dance music over the last fifteen years, the "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" is above all this: Premium Techno 2008! The Hamburg-based producer team has been unmistakably imprinting the last three years' club sound with widely noticed releases on Border Community ("Sooper Track"), Traum Schallplatten ("Doch Doch") and Cocoon Recordings ("Titelheld") as well as with remixes for Gregor Tresher, Minilogue or Alexander Kowalski - last but not least due to an excellent live presence, that resulted in the second rank in the Groove Live Act Charts, even still without the accompanying long player.

The work on "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" started more than two years ago for Schaffhausen and Raabe. "The initial idea was to present an album covering all styles of electronic music between Ambient, Breakbeats and Techno. When we had 25 tracks for the album ready, we had to realize that this approach did not work for us. Insofar, we finally decided to use the 4/4 bass drum in all tracks except in the little intermezzo "Kurt Curtain". We have tested all tracks live over the last three months and constantly re-interpreted them. So, the 'danceability' is clearly in our focus, but the sound spectrum and the dramaturgy of the titles should not be solely functioning in the club. Our intention was definitely not to deliver an album full of superficial peak time hits."

Those twelve tracks on "Schöne Neue Extrawelt", all unreleased, are therefore primarily representing a pleasurable 'in-between', the organic development of hypnotically compressed dance music that is more than "just" Minimal Techno, reduced Trance or electronic listening sounds of the Warp era – even all those elements have left their marks. From the richly decorated musical-clock-intro "One Tree Hill" via the stereo singing bowl of "Trümmerfeld" to the asian-sounding creaking of "Daten Raten", Extrawelt celebrate a vision of futuristic melancholy with organic detail richness, which is permanently in motion but is nevertheless seeming to be well-balanced. However, in the Extrawelt universe, one gets along quite well with antagonisms. "We have always been polarizing, not only in the Techno scene, also in the Trance scene. Because in the end, "Schöne Neue Extrawelt" - freely adapted from Aldous Huxley - is now not only a big neon-coloured future, but is likewise positioned in the often disillusioning grey of the here and now."

Timo Maas - Subtellite

Timo Maas - Subtellite

It has indeed been a bit of a surprise to learn that star DJ Timo Maas is to be releasing a track on Cocoon Recordings. At least, the DJ from Lower Saxony who holds residencies at New York's Twilo and Ministry of Sound in London and has cooperated with or made remixes for Depeche Mode, Madonna, Kelis, Neneh Cherry and Brian Molko of Placebo, has a lot of Pop in his veins. Together with his studio partner Sante Pucello from Italy (productions for Mantra Vibes, Sci + Tec and Hell Yeah Recordings, amongst others), Maas sets new standards in the art of adrenaline release within the clubbing underground.

Thus, the twelve-minute-long epic "Subtellite" consequentially shines with a deep hypnotic bass rotor and ample percussions, picking up some small organ and a Flamenco guitar en route, and when the bass drum returns after the breaks, there is no holding back anymore. In all respects is this one of the hottest candidates for THE Techno track of the second half year – and not only on the Cocoon floors.

John Starlight - Road Rage

John Starlight - Road Rage

The Munich resident Florian Senfter aka Zombie Nation or John Starlight is well-known as the creator of tracks like "Kernkraft 400", "Souls At Zero", "Space Marines" and last not least "Blood Angels", which can also be found on "The Sound Of The Third Season", and is thus a reliable choice for sweaty, energetic eruptions up to the fringe of demolition. This doesn't change significantly on "Road Rage", which was originally released by UKW in a limited number of copies and is now the first sign of life from Senfter's studio, after three years of abstinence.

With time-honoured Plus 8 references and acid elements, the original recollects an almost gone quality of Techno: to blow away your skullcap with the unashamed joy of telling stories, many breaks, some funky dirtyness and experimental Noise playfulness. Exclusively made for Cocoon was the remix by Parisian Turbo producer Popof who gives the track an even more intense gross-grained feeling. One does not have to be a prophet at all to tell that both versions are facing a great future in club autumn 2008 and beyond.

Martin Buttrich - I Lost My Wallet / Again!

Martin Buttrich - I Lost My Wallet / Again!

Like no other German producer, Hannover-born Martin Buttrich has been decisively influencing the sound aesthetics of electronic dance music since the middle of the nineties. Having been more in the background for most of the time while working for and with Timo Maas and Loco Dice among others, his benchmark releases for Carl Craig's label Planet E or Poker Flat have also spotlighted his original name in the public.

Buttrich's second EP for Cocoon couldn't prove better his prediction that in 2008, Minimal Techno will be containing more warm and melodic components. Strangely familiar but always surprising, "Again" and "I Lost My Wallet" provide us with bass-prone reduction somewhere in between Techno and House, and harmony bits that remind of Caribbean Calypso sounds provide the feeling of the approaching summer – which makes both tracks perfect for the final of the open air season 2008. At least, Buttrich will be an integral part of the season closing between Ibiza Main river and Spree.

Anthony Rother, RICARDO VILLALOBOS - Cocoon Morphs Tokyo 3/3

Anthony Rother, RICARDO VILLALOBOS - Cocoon Morphs Tokyo 3/3

The German photographer and artist Andreas Gursky and Sven Väth know each other for quite some time already. Now, Gursky has published a cycle of large-sized pictures that pick 'Cocoon' out as the central theme: The Cocoon pictures are referring to the current club culture: Gursky uses the big Techno events Cocoon is staging as drafts. The architectural frame of his works is referring to the design of the CocoonClub Frankfurt. The spatial concept was developed by Techno Dj and musician Sven Väth, together with the design agency 3deluxe.

Gursky's pictures refer to the graphic templates and thus form an ideal approach to the original CocoonClub. "Cocoon I" was already the cover of the 'Cocoon Morphs Tokyo' CD, which was released in spring in Japan exclusively. In autumn, this CD containing only exclusive tracks is to be released in Europe, too. However, Cocoon fans don't have to wait until then: six of the seven tracks of the CD will be released on three 12" vinyl records (that form the total of Gursky's picture when put together) in order to celebrate the 50th vinyl release of Cocoon Recordings. Here, excellent electronic music meets the work of the most important contemporary German artist worldwide – again, Cocoon explores new frontiers and combines art forms of the 21st century.

Various Artists - Cocoon Morphs Tokyo (German Edition)

Various Artists - Cocoon Morphs Tokyo (German Edition)

The German photographer and artist Andreas Gursky and Sven Väth know each other for quite some time already. Now, Gursky has published a cycle of large-sized pictures that pick 'Cocoon' out as the central theme: The Cocoon pictures sre referring to the current club culture: Gursky uses the big Techno events Cocoon is staging as drafts. The architectural frame of his works is referring to the design of the CocoonClub Frankfurt. The spatial concept was developed by Techno Dj and musician Sven Väth, together with the design agency 3deluxe. Gursky's pictures refer to the graphic templates and thus form an ideal approach to the original CocoonClub.

"Cocoon I" was already the cover of the 'Cocoon Morphs Tokyo' CD, which was released in spring in Japan exclusively. In August, this CD containing only exclusive tracks is to be released in Europe, too. Here, excellent electronic music meets the work of the most important contemporary German artist worldwide – again, Cocoon explores new frontiers and combines art forms of the 21st century.

Guy Gerber, Kalbata, Pig & Dan - Cocoon Morphs Tokyo 2/3

Guy Gerber, Kalbata, Pig & Dan - Cocoon Morphs Tokyo 2/3

The German photographer and artist Andreas Gursky and Sven Väth know each other for quite some time already. Now, Gursky has published a cycle of large-sized pictures that pick 'Cocoon' out as the central theme: The Cocoon pictures are referring to the current club culture: Gursky uses the big Techno events Cocoon is staging as drafts. The architectural frame of his works is referring to the design of the CocoonClub Frankfurt. The spatial concept was developed by Techno Dj and musician Sven Väth, together with the design agency 3deluxe. Gursky's pictures refer to the graphic templates and thus form an ideal approach to the original CocoonClub.

"Cocoon I" was already the cover of the 'Cocoon Morphs Tokyo' CD, which was released in spring in Japan exclusively. In autumn, this CD containing only exclusive tracks is to be released in Europe, too. However, Cocoon fans don't have to wait until then: six of the seven tracks of the CD will be released on three 12" vinyl records (that form the total of Gursky's picture when put together) in order to celebrate the 50th vinyl release of Cocoon Recordings. Here, excellent electronic music meets the work of the most important contemporary German artist worldwide – again, Cocoon explores new frontiers and combines art forms of the 21st century.

The German photographer and artist Andreas Gursky and Sven Väth know each other for quite some time already. Now, Gursky has published a cycle of large-sized pictures that pick 'Cocoon' out as the central theme: The Cocoon pictures sre referring to the current club culture: Gursky uses the big Techno events Cocoon is staging as drafts. The architectural frame of his works is referring to the design of the CocoonClub Frankfurt. The spatial concept was developed by Techno Dj and musician Sven Väth, together with the design agency 3deluxe. Gursky's pictures refer to the graphic templates and thus form an ideal approach to the original CocoonClub.

"Cocoon I" was already the cover of the 'Cocoon Morphs Tokyo' CD, which was released in spring in Japan exclusively. In autumn, this CD containing only exclusive tracks is to be released in Europe, too. However, Cocoon fans don't have to wait until then: six of the seven tracks of the CD will be released on three 12" vinyl records (that form the total of Gursky's picture when put together) in order to celebrate the 50th vinyl release of Cocoon Recordings. Here, excellent electronic music meets the work of the most important contemporary German artist worldwide – again, Cocoon explores new frontiers and combines art forms of the 21st century.

Minilogue - Jamaica / Hispaniola Remixes

Minilogue - Jamaica / Hispaniola Remixes

It may be quite precipitate to already set up the first forecasts for 2008, but one thing is certain: the Swedish producer duo Minilogue's debut album "Animals" on Cocoon Rec. is going to be one of the most influential releases of electronic dance music. The synergy between the intimacy of sound and the variety of movement in cinemascope is extravagating the existing boundaries of Techno and Experimental, a sensual hearing in a repealed sense of time, as the German newspaper DIE ZEIT described it. So, many things speak for the fact that, for the development of reduced Techno, "Animals" is going to be as important as Robert Hood's "Internal Empire" almost 15 years ago.

Insofar, it's only more than consequent that, with Dubfire and The Mole, two of the momentarily most popular visionaries of electronic dance music could have been resurrected for the remixes of the Jamaica EP. The Mole aka Colin de la Plante, the 33-year-old Wagon Repair protagonist from Montreal is taking away this selectivity of sounds that "Hispaniola" contains with a Dub framework of extraordinary warmth. This track could not be re-shaped in a more hypnotic way.

Ali Shirazinia aka Dubfire, born and raised in Washington and one half of House duo Deep Dish, has already been awarded with a Grammy, but since his club hits "I feel speed", "Roadkill" and "Ribcage", he also belongs to the leading solo producers and remixers these days. His 13-minutes-long interpretation of "Jamaica" adds this typical Dubfire mood of nightly paranoia to the original. However, after a Fabian beginning, the pumping bass drum sends clear signals to the dancefloor, and the repeated valve discharge sounds make the club also very present in your domestic living room.

Jacek Sienkiewicz - My Little Place

Jacek Sienkiewicz - My Little Place

Would you have remembered? With the debut album of the 32-year-old Warszawian, "Téchnè", Cocoon Recordings has released the first artist album ever on the label six years ago, at that from an artist who was not well-known to a large extent back then. This has changed fundamentally: with his releases on his own label Recognition as well as on Trapez or Klang Elektronik, Sienkiewicz belongs to those ambassadors of modern individual electronic dance music who set benchmarks.

This is also his demand with the two tracks on “My little place”, meanwhile his fourth release for Cocoon Recordings. While the over-heated "My little place" re-interprets the credo of Dub with polyrhythmic elements, delays and echo in an somehow unfamiliar way, “COM-BAT” carries on Sienkiewicz' tradition of putting hypnotic sound evocations close to the ten-minute mark. With intensive melancholy, the percussive bass rotor of "COM-BAT" creates a bewitched hymn for sunrises somewhere in between the urban desperation of Detroit, the atmosphere of after hours and balearic bliss.

Phil Kieran - Wasps Under A Toy Boat

Phil Kieran - Wasps Under A Toy Boat

Since the year 2000, Belfastian DJ and producer Phil Kieran is providing us with a constant flow of outstanding records and remixes – among them for Novamute and Soma – with his energetic sound from the capital of Northern Ireland. Not least has he gotten awareness with his Alloy Mental project on Fatboy Slim's label Skint.

His new maxi for Cocoon designs two blueprints of uncompromising Techno between tradition and modernity. Whereas the post-acid sounding A side can be indeed called "Wasps under a Toy Boat", displaying ongoing 'wasp sounds' which are shifted against each other, the break- and bass-orientated B side "Tartan Paint" sets new standards regarding the sound abstraction beyond popular expectational attitudes. And thus stays a highly functional DJ weapon for intelligent Techno bashes.

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation H

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation H

Alongside Sven Väths "Sound of the Season"-Series the letter compilations are Cocoon Recording's most anticipated product. They express Väth's view on the current state of club music. Months before the season starts, Sven Väth and Cocoon Recordings' Label Manager Pauli Steinbach meet up to discuss who are the producers who's music excites them most right now. The selected musicians are invited to contribute to the compilation. The result is released in a limited box of six coloured vinyls and as a CD. Each of the tracks unfolds on a side of its own, the artist is introduced with a short portrait. Connecting Cocoon's activities to the diverse club music scenes from all over the globe, the twelve tracks work as a multifaceted manifesto for Cocoon's activities of the upcoming summer. The H Compilation promises an exciting season: Each track sounds special and unique and yet all the artists share a collective acoustic vision. They develop a stirringly euphoric rave sound with a 'housy' subtlety. Each track is a different stage in a mutual journey through the artificial paradise of electronic sound. The spectrum of the featured artists covers esteemed musicians and upcoming artists from the likes of: Joris Voorn, Oliver Ho or Len Faki appear alongside Simon Baker, Mark August or Matt Star.

The tracks are so individual that it is hard to tell which one will become a hit – but for sure there will be a few. Cassy Britton's "A Plea for Me” is as charming and sweet as a techno track can be. It is fascinating how Cassy manages to create a rich and suggestive mood with so few short looped elements. With its vocals, Joris Voorn's "Deep Side of the Moog” picks up the vibe of Cassy's track. Voorn develops a rich atmospheric vibe, he manages to fuse a Detroit sensibility with an overwhelming euphoria. Oliver Ho's "Tempo” relates to his Raudive-Releases and combines an ultra-rough yet super-funky house groove with besetting disturbing sounds. In their collaborative track, Roman Flügel and Sven Väth develop a mind distorting synthesizer frenzy without giving away the least bit of their electronic coolness. Merging wide-ranging sounds into complex structures, Simon Baker creates a very special sexy tension in his "U”. Len Faki's "Death By House” combines the slow, meditative speed of a deep house track with the captivating energy of his highly influential techno productions. "Diablo” by Oliver Huntemann and Dubfire's "Diablo" are the kind of tracks that soak you in completely: its combination of efficiency and elegance make you feel like flying in a supersonic aircraft. In "Us And Them”, Tolga Fidan displays his special talent of composing graceful melodies which are arranged in an acoustic labyrinth. Gui Borratto combines a linear cologne-styled groove with haunting ambient sounds. Efdemin's "Float” has a vibrating staccato groove whose energetic centre can't be seized. The fine-grained sound textures remind of a cloudy sky. "3 Of A Kind” by Mark August is a moody tech-house track which fixates certain emotional states in order to drive them into escalation. H's conclusion is the humorous and tribal-styled "I am Dreaming” by Matt Star.

Suggestive, but not escapist; immediate and straight, yet full of fantasy: The H compilation will be a devoted companion of summer 2008.

Chris Tietjen, Reboot, Johnny D. - Disco Invaders

Chris Tietjen, Reboot, Johnny D. - Disco Invaders

Summer is near, the international Spaceport Ibiza opens its doors and together with his crew, Commander Väth is raring to go – ready for the Disco Invasion at Amnesia. However, before the Amnesia raid takes place, Commander Sven is sending the first signal from planet Minimal Techno Funk – with the Cocoon Summer Mix Cd and its Cosmic Electronic Grooves on two CDs, he is giving a foretaste of the attack of the Disco Invaders.

On the first CD, Chris Tietjen opens his case and has compiled a fine and funky mix from tracks by newcomers such as Minilogue, Markus Fix or Robert Dietz, capturing the motto of this year's season in a perfect way: groovy, funky, housy. Being only 22, Chris has widened his fanbase over the last few years both nationwide and internationally, and has developed into a true ambassador who is perfectly reflecting the Cocoon vibe and transporting it to the planet's dancefloors.

The second CD ties in with its predecessor and sprays a groovy and housy sound, matching the summer just like Cocoon matches Ibiza. With Reboot and Johnny D, two young DJs from the Rhein Main area are coming to the fore, using mainly unreleased own tracks in their mix, and thus putting their trademark on the mix. Both Frank Heinrich (Reboot) as well as Johnny Debese are new to the Cocoon Ibiza crew, and have, over the last 18 months, attracted attention with numerous productions. Whereas Johnny has made his debut on Oslo Rec., Frank caused a furore with his release on Cadenza. And due to the fact that both of them are madly working on new productions and projects, we can look forward to a lot of hot stuff. So, if you can't wait for the attack of the Disco Invaders and already want to get in the mood at home – here is the perfect mix for you! Welcome to the Cocoon Summer 2008!

Adam Proll - Flug 407

Adam Proll - Flug 407

For the third time Adam Proll has released a 12" for Cocoon Recordings. And just like in the two predecessors, "Hummel" and "Adamantido", the native Pole is at the pulse of time and, with "Flight 407“, creates a beautiful and dreamy Summer Tech House track, which seems to be made for the forthcoming open air season.

Warm, soft beats are as skillfully and elegantly used as trippy half time snares and thus make the A side sparkle of life. In contrast to this, "Abbadon" is more something for the neverending After Hours of this summer. The warm and deep Detroit sound reminds of sunsets at the beach and is bringing back this special feeling to the dance floor – may it be in Frankfurt, Berlin or everywhere else.

Chris Tietjen - Drei

Chris Tietjen - Drei

For the third time now, Next Generation host Chris Tietjen compiles the best Cocoon releases of the year on one CD and succeeds in providing a mix that is summarizing the party highlights of the past year in a perfect way. With three artist albums, the Compilation G and numerous 12"es, Cocoon has again set standards in 2007 and is also planning a lot for 2008: besides the upcoming Minilogue album, there is also an album from Extrawelt in sight.

Besides the big hits ("Unreliable Virgin", "Hunter" or "Horizon"), Chris has also included some flip side pearls ("My Cube" oder "Alpha Blend") to the CD, and delivers an impeccable 70 minute set that elegantly steps on the border between House and Techno. Nonchalantly he opens with Martin Buttrich's "Hunter, continues with shooting star Lucio Aquilina and developes a driving and groovy atmosphere up to Pig&Dan's "Sly Detector", which marks an emotional highlight before he closes the mix with Adam Proll's "Elevator", Joel Mull's "Harmonautic String" and Jacek Sienkiewicz's "Good Luck". A very atmospheric and competently made mix with carefully chosen highlights!

Minilogue - Animals

Minilogue - Animals

Lovers of electronic music have been esteeming Minilogue for many years. In 2008 it is almost impossible to imagine club music without the two musicians from Malmö, Sweden. Nowadays, electronic producers tend to retreat into their special stylistic niche - Minilogue dare to draw the bigger picture. After releasing outstanding productions on such renowned labels as Traum, Crosstown Rebels or Wagon Repair, there opus magnum is to appear on Sven Väths Cocoon Recordings. There are few producers who match Cocoon's vision of an electronic sound both on the dancefloor and beyond the club so perfectly: "Animals" covers a wide spectrum of music, it reaches from peaktime techno to beatless deep ambient.

The full range of Minilogue's vision of electronic music is developed on a double CD, while the vinyl version naturally focuses on the dance tracks. The immediacy of the club tracks sweeps everything away that is circumstantial and long-winded in contemporary dance music. The tracks incorporate the elegance and simplicity of classical early Nineties' techno, the economy and lightness of the minimal sound and the sweetness and charm of the recent developments. "Animals" is not a collection of single tracks but a journey that is supposed be listened form beginning to end, it is mixed in a seamless flow.

Sebastian Mullaert and Marcus Henriksson emerged from opposing backgrounds. In his youth Sebastian played a range of classical instruments, he even worked as a violin teacher in his teens. At 18 he discovered contemporary music and joined a band. Marcus used to be a fan of Front 242 and Kraftwerk, he was ravished by the repetitive beats of techno when the music exploded in the nineties. He started to organize parties of his own and became a well known DJ in southern Sweden. When Sebastian and Marcus met at a party, there was an immediate connection. With Sebastian's formal knowledge and Marcus experience with club music the two fitted together like a lock and its matching key. As Son Kite and Trimatic they became very successful in the trance scene, playing enthusiastically received live sets all over the world. With Minilogue they leave the boundaries of that genre - and actually of any genre.

After having risen to the A-List of electronic producers, they still reside in the tiny city of Malmö. As boys from the countryside they enjoy the easy and humble life of a small town. At the same time Malmö has always been very important for the underground dance music scene of Sweden. Since techno and house have exploded in this country, Stockholm tends to ride the hypes and trends, while Malmö is fighting for the deeper and more minimal side of the music. That is why Sebastian and Marcus still feel strongly and passionate about Malmö as their musical home.

Sven Väth - The Beauty & The Beast Remixes

Sven Väth - The Beauty & The Beast Remixes

Do you remember? The Love Parade was not a mass event yet and Rave had its peaktime in the clubs. In the same year, Sven Väth released his concept album "The Harlequin, The Robot And The Ballet-Dancer" and these three characters are playing a role in each track. The video of "The Beauty And The Beast", which is probably the most groovy track, Sven walks around a 3D animated world, dressed up as a harlequin and was a perfect cast for the role.

It's 14 years since then, but now there is a mysterious bootleg appearing in the playlists of many DJs which comes really close to the original. Eric Prydz has taken care for the track and put it into a modern outfit. The Swede who became a House superstar with his 2004 smash hit "Call on me" has kept the relevant components of the track: groove, playfulness, mysteriousness. "The Beauty And The Beast" hasn't lost anything of its fascination and is still taking the listener on journey to another world.

Various Artists - Silk Pearls 2

Various Artists - Silk Pearls 2

The fact that the cocoonclub belongs to the most exciting clubs in Germany is no question. However, not only the club but also the restaurants are spectacular places to treat yourself to some fine food. After only three years, chef Mario Lohninger and his team have established the Silk BedRestaurant as one of Germany's leading restaurants. The Austrian-born chef brings together the hippest cuisines of the world on a very high level and has been awarded with a Michelin star in 2007. The flavourful sensations are accompanied by a musical journey through exotic countries and their culture.

We now venture on the second edition of the "Silk Pearls" series, in order to provide the soundtrack for your couch and hammock sessions at home, far from bargain bin Chillout and Lounge monotony. This edition contains – like its predecessor Silk Pearls 1 – the three features of the Silk BedRestaurant: the coreographed menu, the contemplative atmosphere in the restaurant and the musical arc of suspense. On two CDs, Frank*N, DJ Eastenders, Spy vs. Spy and Stefan-X deliver a tasteful melange of calming Dub delays, endless reverb rooms and sparingly used vocals, that take the listener on a journey through the unique world of Silk Sound Design, even at home.

Phil Kieran - Missp

Phil Kieran - Missp

Phil Kieran is one of those musicians who had a terrific comeback on dancefloors around the globe last year. Having been celebrated as a promising newcomer at the beginning of the millennium, it became rather silent around the Northern Irelander from Belfast. Not until releasing a 12" on Novamute, Phil re-appeared in the playlists of the big DJs.

"Skyhook" was in every case, from Väth to Beyer, from Tiga to Garnier, and with his contribution to Cocoon Compilation G "I think I'm a monster", he continued this path of success. In between, he finished off his musical roots from the British Indie and Industrial scene of the late 80s with his project Alloy Mental, and started the label Flying Cabbage.

Phil Kieran is back again with "Missp" on Cocoon Recordings and continues consistently where he stopped with his contribution to the Compilation G: groovy, dark, technoid – a sound that, from time to time, reminds of some fog & strobo parties in the mid-nineties. An electroid bass line and a fascinating drum roll go straight ahead and it's still the fine sounds in between that make the music and the rhythm. A track which is perfect for the prime time. On the B side, Pig & Dan interprete the track and give it a new look. The remix of the two Mallorquins-by-choice comes along trancy and playful, has a good twist of acid and is as good as the original, of course!

Minilogue - Jamaica

Minilogue - Jamaica

Sometimes, it's still worth not to waste your youth with nonsense but to learn to play an instrument. Like in the case of Sebastian Mullaert, who has learned to play violin, organ and piano, while his partner Marcus Henriksson rather came from Kraftwerk and Human League to electronic music. As Son Kite, the two Swedes have already a well-known name in the psy-trance scene, and as Minilogue, they now start to conquer the Minimal and House world. With their rather unique sound, they manage the tightrope walk between Minimal and Trance and never allow us to put them into a drawer. Especially with their debut on Cocoon Recordings, Minilogue present themselves in a different way, compared to their releases on Traum or Wagon Repair.

"Jamaica" is a calm track at the first hearing and is perfect for building up a set. Beginning with bird-like sounds, the track builds up slowly and quickly becomes very interesting and tricky, ramifies as organic as a climbing plant, and when the tribal sound emerges from the underground, this track has exactly what makes Minilogue so special: organic matter and groovy sounds, worked into a minimal labyrinth with very much love for the details. All of that can also be found on the B side which seems to be more adequate for the morning hours, with its somehow spacey sound. With "Jamaica", Mullaert and Henriksson prove that they are floating on the very surface of the endless minimal ocean. And with their album "Animals" being already in sight on Cocoon recordings, one can be highly anxious of what is coming ahead, by Minilogue and Techno Made in Sweden.

Pig & Dan - Deliverance

Pig & Dan - Deliverance

Igor Tchkotoua and Dan Duncan are true workaholics. Not only are the two Mallorquinos forming one of the most exciting techno duos of our time and play in the most famous clubs worldwide, they always make it to pop up in the studio to work on their releases on Sonic Society, Wig Records or like in the case of „Deliverance“, the new12“ on Cocoon and deliver one more proof of their competence.

With a warmly distorted, pressing bass line and the smoky voice we already know from „On to the beat“, „Deliverance“ starts quite cautious but the track becomes more and more complex – Pig & Dan give the DJ a tool that fits the minimal raver like a custom-made suit. The B side is again one of those tracks that put a smile on your face.

In „Sly Detector“, atmospheric techno sound unites with energetic celebration pleasure, just as we know it from tracks like „After Ibiza“ or „On to the beat“. The rolling hookline which has the necessary splash of acid is, together with the floating trance layer, adrenalising to such extent that nothing else remains to be done but to raise your hands in the air. The track was already a hit with many DJs in 2007, and will be one – chosen in the right moment – on many dancefloors in 2008, too.

Joel Mull - Harmonautic String

Joel Mull - Harmonautic String

Joel Mull, another representative of the Swedish techno community, releases his current vision of what is to happen on the dancefloors. It is different from what his fans know from the early days. Together with Cari Lekebusch and Adam Beyer, he dominated loop techno, which was back then known worldwide as 'Sweden-techno'. Just like his schoolmate Adam Beyer in "Stereotypes", Mull meanwhile strikes calmer notes – even if he comes across more melodic and harmonic than Beyer last year.

With his debut single on Cocoon "Harmonautic String", Joel sends us to a journey through the track which is smoothly airy-fairy and thus perfect to dive into the land of dreams after a wild party night. Even when speeding up after a short break with the drums dominating – the track remains harmonic and is designed to dance into the sun in the early morning hours. The B-side appears spacy and melancholic, but again, Mull is able to layer his music so deep and brillant that the basic mood is still vicious with the track still coming along in a magical and elegant way. "Blossom" is exactly the right thing for a cold winter night and reminds of the B-side of Beyer's Cocoon release.

Lucio Aquilina - Magic M

Lucio Aquilina - Magic M

The Italian Lucio Aqulina is another module of the steadily growing Italo Techno phenomenon around protagonists from the likes of Davide Squillace or Renato Figoli. 2007 was the year of breakthrough for the young man from Naples, who released six records on labels like Trapez, Minisketch or Adagio within a short time only. His Cocoon Recordings debut "Magic M" is a nicely addlebrained Tech House tune with weird acid sounds that catch up with smooth harmonies and even some reverbed dub effects.

A real highlight for fans of the works of Luciano or Ricardo Villalobos. "My Cube" is taking the same line and plays with similar harmonies and melodies, but is slightly more minimal and straight in the beat, and thus reminds of productions of the Italian Eclat crew around Alfa Romero or Scary Grant. Both tracks are strongly following the trend of garnishing minimal Techno and House tunes with musical elements. This is Techno dancefloor alert made presentable the Italian way – and the impressing fact about that is: it really works!

Dominik Eulberg - Bionik

Dominik Eulberg - Bionik

Mr Dominik Eulberg is maybe one of the oddest characters in Techno & House nowadays – but also one of the nicest and most down-to-earth producers within the last years. Like noone else, he combines sound and art research with solid and straight productions, which attract fans from all fields such as Techno, House and even Trance. The young man from the Westerwald alternates between straight-in-your-face humour and and very profound approaches, musically as well as design-wise in word and image, however, his secret seems to be his rootedness.

Eulberg's productions cannot be described in only a few sentences. Big tunes from the likes of "Bionik" or his remixes for "Geht's Noch?" and "Mückenschwarm" can be found as well as clacking electro tracks and sound research tunes on the Cologne based label Traum, where he is one of the biggest artists now. His forthcoming album on Cocoon seems to be both a finish and new start at the same time, with productions emerging from most various approaches, never sounding heavy or over-produced, but also don't want to be another minimal statement but look forward, to the time after Minimal. Similarily to his DJ-Sets, he takes us on a journey into his world, his studio, his microcosm, and one understands why he is abiding to his home and even pays tribute to it in his song titles.

Sven Väth - The Sound Of The Eighth Season

Sven Väth - The Sound Of The Eighth Season

"The Sound of the Eighth Season" is not a mix compilation like all others. Even the fact that this series of Mix-CDs is facing its eighth edition now does not show many parallels to other (Techno) compilations.

Besides the success of the "Season" series during the last seven years, Cocoon and Cocoon Recordings look back to a highly successful year since the Closing Party of 2006. The eighth season – themed "Freakshow" – broke all records. Despite a hard beginning with the move to the "Privilege" exile, Cocoon Ibiza was able to boost both the numbers of visitors and the level of party spirit. Legendary nights, incredible DJ sets and live gigs, an almost unique crowd and a Sven Väth who was in top form during the whole summer. Also, the official Freakshow CD by André Galluzzi and Raresh was one of the main gadgets in summer 2007 in order to get the Ibiza feeling at home. Unforgettable performances by the grandmasters Ricardo Villalobos and Richie Hawtin or the live performance of shooting star Guy Gerber from Israel round up the image of a perfect season.

On the eighth edition of the "Sound..." series, one can also find – besides the big hits of the Cocoon summer – some new wild youngsters, who not only keep the wheel turning but even give it more drive. So, Tolga Fidan – a name not being too well-known to many – has made it to the tracklisting of Sven's Mix-CD already for the second time; the greek-british newcomer Argy is also part of the Ibiza retrospective 2007. And when it comes to newcomers, the name Martin Buttrich is actually one not to be missed. Although being one of the senior producers in Techno and House since the early nineties and the man behind many Timo Maas or Loco Dice hit records, Martin has not taken the step to an international solo career so far. This has definitely changed after outstanding releases on Planet E, PokerFlat as well as with remixes for Tracy Thorn (ex-Everything-But-The-Girl). His next release for Cocoon Recordings is already in the pipeline and has also made it to Sven's Mix-CD.

With this Mix, Sven Väth, the man behind the Seasons series and Cocoon mastermind, does not give his opinion of what Techno was, is or might be, but he rather delivers the soundtrack to a certain concept of life. Already in the past, Väth has included House hymns like "Timbuktu" by New York's Jerome Sydenham (Ibadan Records) in his Ibiza retrospective and in this tradition, he presents one of the big summer tunes of 2007 on the current volume: Carl Craig's remix of Junior Boys' "Like A Child".

However, the most important factor of the enduring success of Sven Väth is this certain extra portion of courage that distinguishes him from many other DJs of his status. He regularly breaks with conventions and keeps his eyes and ears constantly open to new artists and their music. Jamie Jones for instance, well-known only for a short time here, represents the young generation of Techno & House artists on the eighth edition of the "Sound..." series. And as it is suitable for a brave mastermind like Sven, the CD finishes with Pepe Bradock's "Rhapsody in Pain". Both the artist and the title seem to belong rather to the art scene than the Techno universe (not for nothing is the name of Bradock's label "Atavisme") - the deadpan comment an internet user made to "Rhapsody in Pain" illustrates this: "funny and disturbing, but too gross" – this seems to be exactly the right track for Sven and his current Mix-CD!

Phonogenic - The Last Beer On Earth

Phonogenic - The Last Beer On Earth

With Tuomas Salmela aka Phonogenic, we welcome one of the most established finnish Techno and House producers, with releases on 2020 Vision, Poker Flat, Moodmusic or F-Com-munications. Salmela's sound has something dark, reminding of the long finnish winters and cold nights. He does not feast in old times or posts the question of oldskool or newskool, but simply has produced something really new, without getting lost in clicks'n'cuts or doing too much sound research.

Phonogenic uses sentimental harmonies and stringent direct beats, that don't need complex building arrangements, but come to the point rather quickly and make clear where the journey will take us. Similarly to Guy Gerber, Phonogenic's productions also are somewhere in between Techno and Houseand even use elements of Trance. However, Salmela's productions always make the impression of being well planned and moody.

Martin Buttrich - Hunter

Martin Buttrich - Hunter

Martin Buttrich is a phenomenon. Since 1995, the producer and sound engineer has been involved in various projects and remixes, and has proven his sense for the right sound in many productions for artists like Timo Maas and Loco Dice. Despite that, he only has released seven records under his own name, however that doesn't mean this releases haven't caught the attention of the public. The first to name are his productions for Planet E and Poker Flat Recordings.

Buttrich's most remarkable talent is that he is able to find a special sound for the artist he's co-producing and even for the different labels, which is always matching perfectly to the artist or label. The same is true for his debut on Cocoon Recordings. Whereas the focus on the Planet E records was on a playful modulating bassline that was playing with effects and breaks, "Hunter" is more based on the beat. Combined with hypnotic driving vocal snippets and warm synthie sounds, Buttrich has created two great DJ tools, that have enormous power on the dancefloor and perfectly carry on the series of marvellous releases on Cocoon Recordings: Eulberg, David K, Fuckaponydelic or Pig&Dan.

Legowelt - Disco Rout Remixes

Legowelt - Disco Rout Remixes

With Deetron, we were able to get one of the most successful producers of the past year to remix Legowelt's Disco Rout. The result plays to the core of the time and proves the current development of House Music returning to the cities' techno dancefloors. Chicago waves from beyond and fans of French Kiss and Rej will have great fun with this release. Lively arpeggios create a hypnotic vibe without ever becoming obtrusive.

Together with David K's Mayann, this remix is for sure one of the most housy releases on Cocoon Recordings so far. In contrast to this, Freeform Five fathom the strong depths of current House and Techno productions. Pumping beats, enormously compressed and clearly aiming at the peaktime on the main floor – infatuating effectful vocal snippets, a creaking bassline and insane arrangement moves make the Freeformreform a giant monster, delivering the perfect soundtrack for one of the last Freakshow evenings in Ibiza.

Pig & Dan - Imagine

Pig & Dan - Imagine

In 1999, the artists Igor Tchkotoua and Dan Duncan met by chance on a flight to Spain and recognized that they are on the same wavelength. Soon after that, records and productions were exchanged and slowly, the two determined to rough up the underground techno scene. Their first joint productions immediately made it into the record cases of well-known DJs and Laurent Garnier, Sander Kleinenberg or Deep Dish inquired the tracks for their mix compilations. After more than twenty productions for their own "Submission" label, they started something new with their new label "Sonic Society", moving more towards minimal productions. However, it wasn't long until people like Sven Väth, Loco Dice or M.A.N.D.Y. began supporting Pig&Dan productions. The highlight of their corporate career may have been the remix for "Underworld". Also last year, the Pig&Dan 12"es "On to the Beat" and "After Ibiza" on Cocoon Recordings caused a sensation and wherever the records were played, both the public as well as the DJs freaked out and wanted to know the name of the record.

From that point on, it was only a question of time until the duo would do a longplayer on Cocoon Recordings. After Guy Gerber's longplay debut on Cocoon, it's now Pig&Dan's turn to release the next big thing in the Cocoon Recordings universe. In contrast to Guy Gerber, who, with "Late Bloomers", succeeded in covering the total bandwidth from House via Techno to Trance, Pig&Dan are moving more or less on one track – however they are following their path more consistently. Their electronic House sound – closer to Techno than to Guy Gerber's Deep House as regards content – is a perfect image of what is happening on the planet's dancefloors. Trippy and driving electronic beats which are never flamboyant are combined with filigree basslines, giant spherical spaces and weird sounds in long sophisticated arrangements: modern Minimal House with a good share of Techno. Pig&Dan prove to be masters of their trade, and with their productions, sound and style, remind of the perfection of artists like Guido Schneider or Anders Trentemøller, without ever losing their own handwriting. Despite the stringent concept of Electro House, their productions are applicable in a highly flexible way. Though the tracks suggest, by their driving character, to put them into Techno and House DJ sets, but also the friends of calmer sounds will have a lot of listening fun, because the productions never tend to sound aggressive, they rather manage to set free the really big emotions, sometimes reminding of the high times of Vladislav Delay's Luomo productions.

Whereas in the last years, Delay used to be somehow more playful and harmonic, Pig&Dan reduce themselves on "Imagine" more to the essentials of current Techno productions and work more clearly on the elements that a modern dance track should have. The duo is operating on a very high level of production, from the first track to the last one on the record - one highlight chasing the other, and almost each track is succeed in bringing back the atmosphere of the last club night. This is where the sound of the Cocoon floors in Ibiza, Frankfurt, Amsterdam or Rome is transported directly to our iPods, stereos and cars. Pig&Dan seem to have lost their hitherto status as an insider's tip once and for all with that impressing debut album and prove that they are not only fantastic DJs remixers but can also create first-class productions.

André Galluzzi, Raresh - Freakshow

André Galluzzi, Raresh - Freakshow

The Cocoon Ibiza Summer Mix provides a foretaste of the Freakshow at Cocoon Ibiza 2007 and assembles the two Summer Residents André Galluzzi und Raresh in a sweeping mix. André Galluzzi is a DJ since 1989 and has released severel great records with his project / label Taksi, together with Paul Brtschitsch. His residence at Berghain/Panorama Bar in Berlin has gained him reputation beyond the borders of Berlin.

Raresh comes from Romania and is one of the most promising talents within the scene. He spins since 2003 and has already played with people like Sven Väth and Ricardo Villalobos, who were immediately convinced of Raresh's extraordinary talent. Since the beginning, Raresh felt a strong attraction to the tech side of electronic music. Over the years, he developed a unique and special style, combining minimal, tech-house with house in a warm, delicate but powerful way. One of Raresh strong beliefs is that a DJ is not a complete artist until he becomes a producer, and that there is always something more to learn and practice in music.

Argy - Unreliable Virgin

Argy - Unreliable Virgin

Argyris Theofilis, aka Argy, is one the brightest rising stars in modern dance music. Born in Rhodes in 1985, Argy moved to London in 2003 to focus more on music. With his roots in bossanova and New York house, he began djing at the age of 14. Only in the recent London years he expanded his music tastes towards a more electronic sound developing special abilities as producer.

He released on Poker Flat Recordings, RaumMusik, Shallow Cutz and Simple Records. While Argy reserves live performing for more ambitious album projects, he has been blowing away the crowds of prestigious club nights with his dynamic, colourful and sensual dj sets. (Text courtesy of Matteo Tagliavini)

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation G

Various Artists - Cocoon Compilation G

One of the most successful Compilation series in Germany gets in the next round. And with the letter "G", Sven Väth and Pauli Steinbach of Cocoon Recordings consequently continue on the path they already followed before. No pure Techno collection and also no 'pabulum compilation' are waiting for the listener but rather a grown-up music lover collection with modern sounds and the right view on what is currently happening on the dancefloors of the big cities. The names from the tracklistings if the past years sound like the "who is who" of the Techno universe, and this issue also represents a selection that offers unequaled opportunities.

Contemporary music in the year 2007 refuses to be determined to only one style - more and more, it is simply about the question if the music is good and fitting, may it be named Techno, Minimal or House. Exactly the same is true for the guys from Cobblestone Jazz. Having had their breakthrough in the last year, their contribution to Cocoon Compilation G is a deep Tech House track with slight appeals to Trance and Dub. Chaim's track "Genesis" sounds one degree more trippy. Oriental harmonies and detroit-like basslines on weird beats and hihats that should rock every rave. "Treibsand" by Stephan Bodzin breathes Frankfurt Techno air and sounds like the inheritants of Johannes Heil and Anthony Rother without copying them. Deep main floor alert with hit appeal – Bodzin's quicksand doesn't let loose. Tiefschwarz introduce the second part and represent the interface to the 'peak time part' of the CD.

Marcel Dettmann presents us the first real Techno track. "Sepia" is a classic old school Techno pusher with minimal but fat beats, a lot of reverb and echo and the right five-o'clock-in-the-morning feeling. Likewise is Aki Latvamäki's contribution: rolling beats, staccato synths and driving hihats create a true Techno monster that especially may catch the ears of fans of Mathew Jonson. After this one, Audion cools down the temperature with "Fire" and leads in the final part of the CD. Close to Audion's heels is newcomer Jamie Jones, who is not a stranger anymore, especially since his remix for Estroe on Connaisseur Records. His track "Harijuku" is a very elegant Tech House tool with a deep and driving bassline, fat housy beats and soulful strings, and makes a nice transition to Onur Özer's piece. Reaching the end of the CD, we wind down a little, and Özer's part sounds a bit like a mixture between some old Mike-Ink-Studio1 records and current Pier Bucci productions. Magnificient! Deetron from Switzerland finalizes the Compilation G and arouses us after the elegant come down with Jamie Jones and Onur Özer. Deetron unpacks a solid bassline and mean synth sounds, slightly moving towards Electro, but never becoming too hectic. Leaving much space for a long beginning, he creates an absolute highlight of the CD. Props and respect to Switzerland!

Beroshima - Horizon

Beroshima - Horizon

With Frank Müller aka Beroshima, we welcome one of Germany's senior Techno House producers, who is combining the best from both House and Techno already since 1994 - long before the implementation of the term "Tech-House". Whereas Frank Müller just like Guy Gerber was never caught between two stools but rather has the rare talent to reach both House and Techno fans with his productions.

And so he does again with his Cocoon debut "Horizon", an hommage which reminds of the grand ol' times of R&S, with XXL suspense, driving beats and hypnotic sounds and melodies. A big epic masterpiece and the perfect soundtrack for the upcoming Open Air season.

Guy Gerber - Late Bloomers

Guy Gerber - Late Bloomers

With the first tracks on "Late Bloomers", Gerber already makes clear what this is all about. Not only is he mixing House, Techno and Trance like nobody else - he is also producing with accordion sounds and basslines reminding of Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust" ("Unfulfilled") without any concern and thus showing his multiple influences from Carl Craig via Giorgio Moroder to Jean Michel Jarre. However, this all is "only" the prelude, because the first real climax of the CD is reached from track 5 on with Gerber's last 12" for Cocoon "Belly Dancing", immediately followed by last year's smash hit "Sea of Sand", a track which was not missing from the set of any Techno DJ or House DJ in 2006.

With "Persona Non Grata", he proves that he keeps his nerves. For sure, Guy is not the first artist to include some calmer sounds in a Techno or House album, but "Persona Non Grata" is nevertheless surprising. Alex Patterson and The Orb salute from beyond! "Moody Samba" offers a total contrast, and is thus the next proof for Mr Gerber's versatility, without ever appearing random-like. Here, Guy Gerber opens another draw of his musical universe and all of a sudden he sounds like a remix of Aphex Twin's "Analogue Bubblebath". "2 Birds One Stoned" definitely lives up to its name – weird and energetic, with basslines that remind of the high times of giant Open Air raves in Northern England in the beginning of the Nineties, and which send us back into the times of R&S and "Belgian Bombs". Gerber again succeeds in keeping his very own handwriting and even working it out more precisely, although rave soundtrack übervater Frank de Wulf peeks around the corner very clearly.

After the first part of the CD with its well-known and expected hits, and the surprises, breathers and re-emerging Techno madness in the second part, Gerber skillfully brings the listener down again with "Planetarium" and "Last Frequency". Some kind of Panorama Bar mid day feeling with sunbeams falling through the smoky and de-partied room, with dancers dancing to all kind of music between 100 and 160 bpm and are one with themselves and the world around. "Last Frequency" is taking another stab and reminds with its arpeggio lines of the good old Blade Runner soundtrack, only with a shuffled beat underneath, perfectly rounding off Gerber's "Best-of-Styles-and-Influences".

In case you meet someone next week who completely missed the last 15 years of club history, just give him this CD and within a few moments, he will get a comprehensive impression of what has musically happened on the best "Four-To-The-Floors" around the world. We bow in awe, and we feel with those who don't understand this album or don't like it at all.

Adam Proll - Adamantido

Adam Proll - Adamantido

Once more, Adam Proll is impressing the audience with his latest release. Especially "Adamantido" persuades with its reflection of current moods and reminds of productions by Martin Landsky, Bookashade or Cocoon Recordings producer Guy Gerber. A great emotional Tech House tune with enough space for 'big feelings' and open air mood. Coming to "Elevator", Adam Proll is himself again and serves a buzzing and shuffled Minimal Techno track that rocks like hell. The track lives up to its name and definitely takes us one level higher on the dance floor. A nice forecast for the upcoming summer and a guaranteed floorfiller!

Guy Gerber - Belly Dancing

Guy Gerber - Belly Dancing

Guy Gerber is proceeding where he has stopped with his latest releases on Cocoon and NiteBeat and is fathoming the borders of Tech House further on. 'Belly Dancing' comes extremely organic and lively, with almost Disco-like bass lines and key harmonies, and reminds here and there of early Chicago House from Trax Records. Mister Fingers beamed to Ibiza 2007!

It is almost frightening how easy Guy Gerber switches between genres and outrightly plays with them. Also the flipside is impressing, reminding of Isolée's 'Beau Mot Plage' or 'Rej' by Âme. This will definitely cause some excitement in New York House clubs. Definitely one of the first big House tunes in 2007 and one of THE House highlights on Cocoon Recordings. A step away from 'This is Balagan' indeed, but into the right direction. We are anxious of what will happen next.

Chris Tietjen - Zwei

Chris Tietjen - Zwei

Over the last twelve months, the Cocoon Recordings crew has written another chapter of the German Tech House Book. With releases by Loco Dice, Dominik Eulberg or by shooting stars like Guy Gerber and Pig&Dan, we could celebrate some of the biggest records of 2006.

Guy Gerber's "Sea of Sand", Eulberg's "Bionik" and Loco Dice's "Carthago" even belong to the absolute high-flyers, and with Fuckaponydelic's "Switch the Lights", the first big release of this year is also included. "ZWEI" continues where the first label revue "EINS" had stopped and will be anticipated particularly by fans and clubbers who don't have a record player anymore but have not completely switched to mp3 yet.

A CD containing the best of the current Cocoon releases, compiled and mixed smoothly by CocoonClub's Next Generation host Chris Tietjen. Chris has advanced steadily since his CD debut and without doubt belongs to the top league of young Tech House and Minimal DJs. With more and more routine, he extends his national and international fanbase. Chris has developed into one of our best ambassadors and is a popular DJ who is capable of reflecting the Cocoon vibe and transporting the Frankfurt mood to the clubs. in this spirit... we feel the bassline!

David K - Mayann

David K - Mayann

Looking back to a great year, we find David K from the Freak'n'Chic posse being one of the most successful newcomers in 2006. Freak'n'Chic stands for a kicking mix of techno and acid sounds, which are blended with some house. DJ friendly, very danceable but still demanding, with elements of deep house and minimal house. This is also the direction of David's current tracks "Tender and Sugar" and "Mayann".

Whereas "Tender and Sugar" seems straighter, darker and more minimal, and the fat but simple beat is the driving element, "Mayann" comes along with strong reerences to "Âme" and its synth sounds remind of "Rej" or productions of "Pasta Boys" from Italy, without denying David K's "Freak’n’Chic" handwriting. The spheric layers and weird percussion sounds make "Mayann" a real tech house monster. Is this a late highlight in 2006 or the first hit of the next year? Besides his releases, David K will give his live debut at the CocoonClub at the end of december.

Fuckaponydelic - Switch The Lights

Fuckaponydelic - Switch The Lights

In the last weeks, a mysterious bootleg circulated in the DJ sets of some of the hottest Tech House protagonists like Sven Väth, Ricardo Villalobos und André Galluzzi. The wildly programmed minimal monster with Acid and Detroit flavour, and the insane vocals of great Funk pioneer made the floors burn regularily. Unfortunately, the first copies were sold out quickly, but Cocoon Recordings now releases the re-edit, and has even added a goodie:

CocoonClub resident C-Rock and his production partner Matthias Vogt (aka Motorcitysoul) took the original of "Switch the Lights" by Fuckaponydelic and now deliver a straight minimal Acid House track, which comes with new strings and trippy Detroit sounds and contains a enormous floor potential. The climax of it all is for sure the first break, where the 'preacher man'-style vocals remind you of the high times of Relief Records. Hands up, there is a beat, Cocoon goes Detroit!

Pig & Dan - After Ibiza

Pig & Dan - After Ibiza

Pig & Dan are one of the big newcomers on Cocoon Recordings. Even if both DJs / producers are not really new in the business and play clubs in Spain, England and the U.S. with great success, they are not very well-known in Germany. Their latest and biggest coup is a remix of Underworld's "Play Pig", which brings them in good company with Robag Wruhme and Pete Heller.

With "After Ibiza", they deliver a real beamer for Cocoon, totally right in giving consideration to the Ibiza reference. For ten minutes, echo bleeps and and trippy beats are screwed into your brain in a way that sometimes reminds of Ricardo Villalobos. The B-Side "Touch" comes along in a more tech-house style, with minimal structures and overlapping harmonies, which make the perfect soundtrack for every sundown.

After a very emotional break, Pig & Dan unpack the 'Trentemøller' bass and let it go again. A great 12", which provides fresh food for fans of Trentemøller, Luciano and Ricardo Villalobos.

Sven Väth - The Sound Of The Seventh Season

Sven Väth - The Sound Of The Seventh Season

Ibiza 2006. Just arrived, switching on the air condition. It's hot, the sun is burning and Mediterranean scents are waving through the car window, a combination of sun lotion, excellent food and the sea. Your sunglasses become the most important fashion item for the next few days, and who has never been to Ibiza does not know that you only need a pair of flip-flops for a perfect holiday.

What makes this island so special, where is the magic of this place? A cosmic place, only a stone's throw away from the dull European cities, a summer meeting point for the international clubbing society. Since seven years ago, the island has finally arrived at the Techno and Tech House universe. Gone are the times when Balearic Beats alternated with British club sounds in calling the tune on the island. Sure, Acid House has made it from here out of the London underground, but that's it more or less.

Meanwhile, everybody is talking about the German Tech House miracle: Cocoon, the CocoonClubs in Frankfurt and Ibiza, Cocoon Recordings, but also DJs like Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin, André Galluzzi, Tobi Neumann and many more – all of them are now 'calling the tune', and similarly to the times of Acid House at the beginning of the Nineties, Ibiza is again the springboard. However, with the slight but important difference that here, something was built up over seven years, without external hypes and vast media coverage, not an overnight success, no S-Express but our continuously growing House and Techno party culture. The sound and the vibe of the early Love Parades, Love Parks, Green & Blues, the Omen and so on... we were there!

"Finally", you could almost say. The world is listening. What is happening in Germany? What kind of scene is this? Why is so much damn great music coming from here? Well, it is like it is, and for many of us, it has always been like that anyway. And one man was there from the very beginning: Sven Väth!

Of course, the past Cocoon Ibiza Season has continued this evolution consistently. For the seventh time in succession, we have beaten all records and the number of visitors has increased again. This success was made possible solely through own efforts, without major sponsor support and major advertising offensives or concentrated media power. It may be trite, but "Music was the key!" More and more clubs on the island follow this example, and everybody is already curious on what Cocoon is going to do in 2007. Meanwhile, we are looking back to Season 2006 the musical way. Besides the big hits ("This is Sick", "Dump Track“, "Nam Nam"), many brand new listening pearls as well as two treasures from the Cocoon Recordings chest ("Hummel" by Adam Kroll and "Bionik" by Dominik Eulberg) can be found on the double CD, which is again split in a 'Night' and a 'Day' mix by Cocoon head Sven Väth. Let the music speak for itself, watch the best pictures of the summer under the provided link, open a bottle of Rioja, enjoy some bread and Aioli and watch out for the next summer... fast forward 2007!

Dominik Eulberg - Bionik

Dominik Eulberg - Bionik

Cocoon Recordings is proud to present a very special goodie for this summer. Check out "Bionik" on a limited picture disc by last year's shooting star number one Dominik Eulberg. Like no other artist, Dominik creates once again a real floorburner with elements of house, electro and minimal techno - the sound of the moment! Stay tuned for the album release of "Bionik" in September 2006!

Guy Gerber, Shlomi Aber - Sea Of Sand

Guy Gerber, Shlomi Aber - Sea Of Sand

Beyond doubt: Guy Gerber is Newcomer of the Year! His latest coup "Sea Of Sand" is a true phenomenon. Being first released 'only' as a part of the Cocoon Compilation series, the track turned out to be one of THE summer hits of the year. Actually strange, as there is not so much happening in this track. However, it is full of energy up to the limit, and from the very first second, this Minimal House track plays itself to the front in an almost magical way. A highlight in every (!) DJ set, containing a depth which is lacking in the most productions currently, making "Sea Of Sand" a classic already.

After "This is Balagan", this is the next big track of the two Israelis Guy Gerber and Shlomi Aber! The previously unreleased B side "After Love" contains a warm summer feeling. Here, Guy and Shlomi conjure a true masterpiece, with a bass and beat programming reminding of Kevin Saunderson and Inner City, and an infatuating synth sound, which is already stuck in your mind from the very beginning. Huge and epic, with a typical Guy Gerber break, getting along without big show effects or drum rolls, the track simply leaves room for the respective sounds.

A beautiful tune in the direct intersection of Deep House, Acid and techno, and a more than dignified B side for "Sea Of Sand".